"I'm just being honest" - Beneil Dariush issues brutally honest prediction for potential Alex Pereira vs. Khamzat Chimaev super fight 

As Alex Pereira made a triumphant return against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320, Khamzat Chimaev issued a daring callout to 'Poatan'. While the MMA fandom is divided on the idea, Beneil Dariush, for one, doesn't want the fight to happen.

The lightweight contender instead wants Pereira to chase a super fight at heavyweight rather than risk fighting 'Borz':

"I'd actually like to see him go fight a big fight like the Jon Jones fight or something. He is 38, and he is maybe considering retiring. I don't want him to get mauled by Khamzat... I really want to see Pereira ride off into the sunset with a big fight, big paycheck."

As Dariush sees it, the Brazilian would struggle against Chimaev's wrestling. While Pereria's grappling proved adept enough to stop Ankalaev's takedowns, the American believes, 'Borz' is a much greater wrestling threat than the former light heavyweight champion ever was:

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"Absolutely [I would favor Khamzat against Pereira]. The way Khamzat wrestles is very different from the way Ankalaev wrestles. Ankalaev seems [to employ] almost a Greco style, more body locks, he doesn't commit so much. Khamzat completely commits, completely turns the corner; he is able to get on your back, he is able to do so much more. Ankalaev doesn't have that kind of wrestling."

Check out Beneil Dariush's take on a potential Alex Pereira vs. Khamzat Chimaev match below:

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Khamzat Chimaev game to chase Alex Pereira to heavyweight

Immediately after Alex Pereira reclaimed the light heavyweight title at UFC 320, Khamzat Chimaev issued a callout to the newly crowned champion. However, with Pereira and his team hinting at a potential heavyweight move, Chimaev has upped the stakes.

The Chechen-born Emirati seems to have no qualms about jumping two weight divisions to chase down 'Poatan'. In a recent post on X, Chimaev declared that he was game for a heavyweight showdown:

"I'm ready to fight you in the heavyweight. You won't find a super fight [bigger] than our fight. No Chama, this is SMASH EVERYBODY."

While Pereira is seeking a heavyweight move with urgency, Dana White still seems convinced that it is far from the best path forward for 'Poatan', who started his UFC career as a middleweight.

Edited by Ujwal Jain