"It was by merit that I'm here and I prefer it this way"" - Beneil Dariush talks taking the 'satisfying' long road to UFC title contention to set an example for his kids

Beneil Dariush established himself as a legitimate lightweight contender following a strong showing against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280. The No.4-ranked lightweight, who has now had 21 UFC fights without a title opportunity, recently shared his thoughts on taking the long route to title contention.

Speaking to John Morgan of MMA Underground, Dariush stated:

"It took me a long time to get here and I think it was by merit that I'm here and I prefer it this way. It's more satisfying. Ultimately, I need to be a good example because one day, I plan on having a lot of kids. Right now, I have one daughter. I have more daughter on the way. I plan on having a lot of kids and I have to be a good example to my kids."

He continued:

"If my kids look back at my interviews, at my fights, I don't want them to be like 'oh, I live with a hypocrite.' Another thing is with the world, I don't want kids to think, 'I gotta be a YouTube star, I gotta be a TikTok, I gotta smoke weed, I gotta act a certain way'. No, you have to work hard, trust the process, trust God, and move forward like that. I want to be that example."

Dariush shared that it is hard for him to see young adolescents following the wrong path at such a young age. After spending nearly nine years with the promotion, Dariush has finally emerged in the title conversation on the heels of an eight-fight win streak.

Watch Beneil Dariush discuss the satisfying road to title contention below (starting at the 8:52 mark):

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Beneil Dariush targets fight with a top-five lightweight

Beneil Dariush's UFC 280 victory over Mateusz Gamrot has placed him in the top-five of the lightweight rankings. With lightweight champion Islam Makhachev's first title defense likely to be against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, the No.4-ranked lightweight is looking to face a top-five opponent.

Speaking to Marc Raimondi of ESPN MMA, Dariush was asked about potentially facing No.1-ranked lightweight Charles Oliveira. He stated:

"That fight makes sense, I think Charles makes sense. I don't think Poirier or Chandler are going to want to fight after they fight. They normally take their time. I don't know if Oliveira is going to want to fight in February. I think anybody in the top-five makes sense, but they also are going to have to want to fight me."

While his coaches have advised him to wait for a title opportunity, Dariush shared that he is looking to get back into the cage, noting his passion for fighting. If not for Volkanovski's pursuit of double champ status, Dariush would likely be looking at his first title shot.

Watch Beneil Dariush discuss potential lightweight opponents below (starting at the 9:25 mark):