Once dubbed Islam Makhachev’s kryptonite, Beneil Dariush breaks down the keys to beating the lightweight champion ahead of UFC 311

Islam Makhachev currently holds the longest winning streak in UFC lightweight history (13) and has looked largely unbeatable since becoming champion in 2022.

Ahead of his anticipated title defense against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, the man prevously dubbed Makhachev's 'kryptonite' has shared the keys to defeating the 155-pound king.

Beneil Dariush was once considered the worst matchup for Makhachev at lightweight given the elite grappling skillset he held. Having won several world titles in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, his unique style of submission grappling was labeled as the style to dethone the Dagestani.

But successive defeats to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan in 2023 saw Dariush tumble down the lightweight pecking order, and he now occupies the No. 9 ranking.

During a recent interview with Inside Fighting, he was asked to share the "keys" to beating Makhachev and said:

"The most important thing when starting out when you fight Makhachev, you have to meet his feints. He does a lot of feints, a lot of fakes, and if you don't meet those he's going to be able to push you back and going to be able to put pressure on you. If you can't meet that, then it's kind of an uphill fight... Ultimately, to be able to beat him, you have to be very well-rounded."

Catch Beneil Dariush discussing Islam Makhachev below (1:35):

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Arman Tsarukyan shares unexpected reflection on Islam Makhachev fight in 2019

Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev faced off in the Georgia-born Armenian's promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 149, which saw Makhachev secure a unanimous decision win.

The bout was viewed as Makhachev's toughest career test until he faced off against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 in one of the greatest MMA fights of all time.

The Dagestani fighter will now face Tsarukyan in a highly anticipated rematch when the pair clash at UFC 311 on Jan. 18. They will go to war for the lightweight belt.

Ahead of the bout, the title challenger was interviewed by ESPN MMA. During the recent interview, the 28-year old shared a surprising revelation about what his first meeting with the 155-pound champion taught him:

"He's not as good as people think... I mean, people think he's unbeatable, crazy wrestling. But I took him down when I was 22 years old, so."

Catch Arman Tsarukyan's comments on Islam Makhachev below (4:45):