Two Lightweights look to kick off the main card at UFC Vegas 6 in style as Beneil Dariush meets Scott ‘Hot Sauce’ Holtzman in a clash which could be each fighter’s breakthrough.
When the fight was first announced to Dariush, he couldn’t help but voice his disappointment at the lack of a top 15 opponent. Dariush, who is currently ranked 14th at lightweight, boasts a four-fight winning streak, coming into this contest after a brilliant KO win over Drakkar Klose at UFC 248.
After a dominant first round from Dariush, both fighters seemed exhausted, causing both men major issues. As Klose rocked Dariush, he rushed forward to close the show. However, in the flurry, Klose was clipped with a right hook which had him on wobbly legs, before Dariush proceeded to knock Klose out cold with an over hand left.
Beneil Dariush made his UFC debut in January 2014 at UFC Fight Night 35. Facing Charlie Brenneman, Dariush exploded into the UFC limelight claiming victory via submission in the first round.
Dariush lost his next fight to Ramsey Nijem via TKO, but quickly returned to form with a rampant 5 fight winning streak, with wins over Michael Johnson and Jim Miller. Though the impressive run of wins came screeching to a halt when he lost to Michael Chiesa via submission.
Meanwhile, in the opposite corner, Scott ‘Hot Sauce’ Holtzman comes into this bout in blistering form. He is 5-1 vs his last 6 octagon opponents.
The 36-year-old dropped the ball against Nik Lentz but bounced back with a win against UFC veteran Jim Miller at UFC Rio Rancho. The victory against Miller raised eyebrows given Millers dominant performance over hot prospect Roosevelt Roberts.
In a back and forth war, Hotlzman ran out victories via unanimous decision. Both fighters pushed one another to the limits throughout the first 2 rounds. However, as the fight wore on, Holtzman started to control the pace of the fight and looked to be one step ahead of his opponent. This bout earnt both men a 50k Fight of the Night bonus.
Knoxville native Hot Sauce won the XFC Lightweight title in 2013, beating John Mahlow via 2nd round TKO, and proceeded to make his UFC debut in 2015 at UFC Fight Night 73 where he won the one-sided bout via submission in the third round against Anthony Christodoulou.
In my opinion, this is one of the most difficult fights to call as they are well matched within the stats. I believe both men will feel each other out on the feet in the early goings but as the fight wears on, I suspect we will see Beneil Dariush looking for a takedown. Considering Dariush’s background, it’s safe to say that he has the significant advantage on the ground. However, if Holtzman can clip Dariush early it could be a difficult night for the Iranian born fighter.
Fight Prediction: Beneil Dariush via Submission.
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