One to Watch: Beneil Dariush vs. Rashid Magomedov | FIGHTLAND

Photo by Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Two weeks without a UFC event seems an abnormally long time, given the promotion’s busy 2016 schedule. But, Saturday 5^th November sees the UFC return to our lives—and Mexico City—for UFC Fight Night 98, which also serves as The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 finale.

The headliner is sure to excite Mexico’s fervent fight fans with two top-level UFC lightweights in Rafael dos Anjos, the recently dethroned king of the division, and a perennial contender in Tony Ferguson. Meanwhile, the fight card is fleshed out with top bouts between Diego Sanchez and Marcin Held, Ricardo Lamas and Charles Oliveira, and, finally, a contest between top women’s strawweight talent Alexa Grasso and Heather Jo Clark.

However, the one fight flying under the radar is the match-up between Beneil Dariush and Russia’s Rashid Magomedov—another fascinating lightweight tilt. It’s 9^th versus 15^th in the UFC lightweight rankings and a win for either man will improve their stock in the UFC landscape.

Dariush has established himself as one of the UFC’s most dangerous lightweights, beating the likes of Michael Johnson, Jim Miller and Daron Cruickshank during his three-year stint in the promotion. He was riding an impressive five-fight win streak before having that run snapped by submission specialist Michael Chiesa, who fought hard to secure a come-from-behind rear naked choke victory. The Assyrian-American, who boasts a black belt in muay-thai under Chute Boxe legend Rafael Cordeiro and earned a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt in just five years, avenged his loss to Chiesa by viciously knocking out the ascending James Vick at UFC 199.

Dariush was on the cusp of being included in the title mix before losing to Chiesa, so this win holds plenty of weight for the Iran-born 27 year old. His impressive KO victory over Vick showcased his improved striking arsenal in an MMA context, considering how most of his wins prior were mostly from submissions or decisions and the fact Vick was an accomplished, rangy, amateur boxer himself.

Magomedov could well be a significant step up in the striking stakes for Dariush.  While his opponent has some notable credentials to his name as mentioned above, Magomedov arguably puts Beneil’s to shame.

Another member of the contingent of fighters hailing from Dagestan to be housed on the UFC roster, Magomedov has some serious fighting pedigree well away from the confines of a cage. He is one of the most accomplished strikers in MMA, having won the Russian ARB Hand-to-Hand Combat championships on multiple occasions and was a bronze medallist in the Russian Kickboxing Federation’s 2006 tournament. Alongside those accomplishments, Magomedov won the M-1 Global welterweight title and was previously a runner-up at the Dagestan combat sambo championships—credentials which compliment his master of sports in boxing, hand-to-hand combat and sambo. At 32-years-old, Magomedov is the real deal with his extensive history in multiple martial arts.

Those skills gained from years of amateur combat competition have smoothly transitioned into Magomedov’s MMA career, with “Highlander” owning a 19-1 MMA record. Magomedov is presently unbeaten with a 4-0 record in the UFC, defeating three Brazilians in a row and in their backyard: Rodrigo Damm in a comfortable unanimous decision win in Sao Paulo, Elias Silverio by TKO in Barueri, handing him his first loss, and, finally, multiple-time Brazilian jiu jitsu world champion Gilbert Burns by unanimous decision in Magomedov’s return to Sao Paulo.

Magomedov is a slick striker, but isn’t a particularly aggressive one—often preferring to make his opponents look silly with some beautiful counterpunching. This is exemplified in his record with nine of his wins coming by knockout and another nine coming by decision—victories often earned by dictating the pace, controlling the range and the action on the feet.

The pair has a mutual opponent in Tony Martin, with Dariush earning victory with a second-round arm triangle choke, while Magomedov eked out a 29-28 decision win after overcoming a dangerous arm bar submission attempt in the first round.

Both men also happen to have a mutual interest in this chance to assert themselves as important fixtures in the fast-moving, talent-rich world of the UFC’s lightweight division. A win for either fighter would have an immeasurable impact on their status in the division, while a loss would certainly be seen as a major setback despite both opponents’ respective skillsets.

Two top-class multi-martial artists squaring off in the Octagon with some high stakes involved. What’s not to love? Make sure you take in this week’s One to Watch.

Check out these related stories:

Dos Anjos vs. Ferguson: No Such Thing as Retreat

Tony Ferguson: The Growth of El Cucuy