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Beneil Dariush has publicly revealed that he made two separate offers to Dustin Poirier for a lightweight main event, both of which were turned down by the former interim UFC lightweight champion.
Dariush, who held an impressive eight-fight win streak before succumbing to Charles Oliveira in June at UFC 289, is set to enter the octagon against Colby Covington at UFC Austin. Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan, with two consecutive wins in his recent bouts against Damir Ismagulov (24-3 MMA) and Joaquim Silva (12-4 MMA), is also gearing up for UFC Austin.
During a pre-fight news conference on Wednesday, Dariush expressed his efforts to secure a matchup with Poirier, stating,
"I've seen interviews with Dustin, and he's not really interested in fighting me. I don't get him excited, I guess, the way he puts it. My understanding is when Jon Jones got hurt, they were hoping to boost (UFC 295) up with Dustin Poirier and myself, and they called him and he wasn't interested."
The 34-year-old continued to reveal that the attempts were made for the upcoming UFC Austin date as well. Dariush stated,
"I believe they even tried for this date. This is what I was told. I'm not sure what he was told on his side, but they were also given the option to fight this date with me, and he turned down both of them. That's what I've been told."
In conclusion, Dariush acknowledged the inability to force someone into a fight, expressing his understanding of Poirier's selective approach to his matchups. Despite the disappointment of not securing a bout with Poirier, Dariush remains focused on his upcoming fight against Colby Covington, emphasizing that he won't beg for a fight if Poirier isn't interested.
Poirier, coming off a defeat against Justin Gaethje in July at UFC 291, holds a record of 29-8 MMA, with two wins and two losses in his last four fights. His recent decision to decline the offers from Dariush adds an intriguing layer to the evolving lightweight landscape in the UFC.