Beneil Dariush believes Michael Chandler is too focused on being entertaining, which is why he thinks Dustin Poirier will get his hand raised at UFC 281.
On the main card of the stacked pay-per-view from Madison Square Garden, Chandler and Poirier are set to throw down in a highly-anticipated scrap. The winner could very well be in the title picture alongside Dariush, who will be paying close attention to the fight.
Entering the contest, Poirier is the betting favorite, and many expect him to get his hand raised. Dariush, meanwhile, is no different as he expects “The Diamond” to win. He believes Chandler could win if he fights smart, but doesn’t think he will.
Beneil Dariush on Picking Dustin Poirier to Win at UFC 281
“If Chandler fights smart, he should be able to win this fight,” Dariush recently told “Morning Kombat.” (via MMAJunkie). “But I think Chandler right now is so focused on being exciting, so focused on being entertaining for the fans, he puts himself in really bad situations. I think if he goes out there, plays a very conservative striking game, a lot of wrestling, he should be able to pull this off. But in reality, I think Dustin Poirier is going to end up winning this fight, because Chandler is going to try to be more than he needs to be. I think he’s going to end up losing the fight because of that.”
In Chandler’s fight against Justin Gaethje, he just went at ‘The Highlight’ and had the Fight of the Year. Yet, in the lead-up to this bout, he has made it clear he will fight smart as he just wants to get his hand raised and get another title shot.
As for Dariush, he’s coming off a decision win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280 to extend his win streak to eight and hasn’t lost since 2018. During the win streak, he also holds notable wins over Tony Ferguson, Diego Ferreira, and Drew Dober among others.
