UFC 322: Beneil Dariush full media day interview
UFC 322 fighter Beneil Dariush spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters at media day for his lightweight main card bout vs. Benoit Saint Denis
NEW YORK – Beneil Dariush is excited to mix it up with Benoit Saint Denis and prove he’s the better grappler if necessary.
Dariush (23-6-1 MMA, 17-6-1 UFC) meets Saint Denis (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a lightweight bout which serves as the UFC 322 main card opener at Madison Square Garden (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+/FX, ESPN+). It’s a matchup that Dariush is really looking forward to, just days away.
“This is a good fight, man. It’s exciting,” Dariush told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “He’s a good fighter, he’s very skilled, he’s more experienced now, and I just think stylistically, it’s a fun fight for me. Obviously, I think I’m better, so, I’m excited for the fight.”
Both fighters enter on the heels of wins. Dariush comes in after halting a two-fight skid with a unanimous decision win over Renato Moicano in June, while Saint Denis enters after back-to-back submissions of Kyle Prepolec in May and Mauricio Ruffy in September.
Given the submission results recently and throughout his career, Dariush is expecting more of that approach Saturday. While some may view Saint Denis as a threatening striker, Dariush sees him as a more dangerous fighter on the mat.
“When I watch him, I see more of a grappler, to be honest with you, but everybody sees him differently,” Dariush said. “I would say current culture is very short attention span, so what you see a lot of is his highlights. If you watch the entirety of his fights, clearly he’s a great grappler, very dominant in that, and I think something I need to watch out for.”
Should the fight hit the mat, Dariush, current No. 8 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, is confident his skillset will prevail.
“I think in grappling, I have an advantage for sure,” Dariush said. “He could go that route, that’s fine. I have plenty of ways to deal with that.”
