The time has finally come for the Main Event at UFC Austin as we're set to bring you a prediction and pick for this headlining bout taking place in the Lightweight (155) Division. Ranked contenders square off as No. 4 Beneil Dariush will take on the surging No. 8 Arman Tsarukyan. This fight has some serious implications for the top of the division! Check out our UFC odds series for our Dariush-Tsarukyan prediction and pick.
Beneil Dariush (22-5-1) holds a UFC record of 16-5-1 dating back to 2014. His last loss came to Charles Oliveira back in June where he was stopped via strikes in the first round. Prior to that, Dariush was riding an eight-fight winning streak that was capped off by impressive victories over Tony Ferguson and Mateusz Gamrot. Now, he'll be looking to put away the newest contender at 155 and stake his own claim at a title challenge. Dariush stands 5'10” with a 72-inch reach.
Arman Tsarukyan (20-3) has gone an impressive 7-2 in his UFC tenure since 2019. His most recent wins came against Damir Ismagulov and Joaquim Silva in which he was able to notch a knockout and a unanimous decision win. His only two losses have been to Mateusz Gamrot and now-champion Islam Makhachev, so he's ready to put together another run as he chases UFC gold. Tsarukyan stands 5'7″ with a 72.5-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Austin Odds: Beneil Dariush-Arman Tsarukyan Odds
Beneil Dariush: +225
Arman Tsarukyan: -290
Over 3.5 rounds: -146
Under 3.5 rounds: +114
How to Watch Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Beneil Dariush Will Win
After an eight-fight winning streak and a ton of hype surrounding his long-awaited matchup with Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush came up short and suffered one of the tougher losses of his career. It was the biggest spot he'd ever been in and while the meeting with Oliveira was an eventuality, Dariush didn't perform like the best version of himself. Much of that could have been attributed to the skill and aura around Charles Oliveira as a fighter, so Dariush will be more confident in this fight knowing he's the more experienced, higher-ranked guy. We've seen him at his best not too long ago, so don't let his last fight persuade you that he's washed in any way.
Beneil Dariush is a fantastic wrestler and he'll have a slight height and reach advantage over Tsarukyan. This will give Dariush an edge when defending takedowns and tying his opponent up along the fence. He also has great boxing when he finds his range and he'll be able to throw a variety of techniques at Tsarukyan. His durability has been a question recently and his chin certainly isn't what it used to be after all the wars. Beneil Dariush will have to be very defensive-minded and make sure Tsarukyan isn't getting any clean shots on him.
Why Arman Tsarukyan Will Win
Arman Tsarukyan has had an impressive run through the rankings and he'll be facing the toughest test of his career thus far in Beneil Dariush. He had a lot to learn from his fight with Mateusz Gamrot in terms of wrestling and keeping his striking output high. Since then, Tsarukyan has looked very sharp and he's done a great job mixing his martial arts together seamlessly. He also has a very strong wrestling base and actually attempts three times as many takedowns per fight than Dariush. He'll have to be wary of the jiu jitsu from Dariush, but Tsarukyan feels confident in his abilities to find the ground-and-pound through his wrestling.
Arman Tsarukyan is also a very polished striker and will throw a number of variations with his elbows and knees. He'll be at a slight size disadvantage here, so he'll have to be measured in the way he closes the distance in the striking exchanges. This is also the biggest step-up in terms of competition he's seen his whole career, so it'll be interesting to see how he responds against an elite fighter like Dariush after just having fought an unranked opponent. Still, Tsarukyan is the betting favorite for a reason and his youth and athleticism should pay dividends in this fight.
Final Beneil Dariush-Arman Tsarukyan Prediction & Pick
Fight fans are especially excited for this fight as they'll see two ranked finishers in the Lightweight Division. Both fighters are fully capable of wrestling with some of the best fighters in the division and have endless arsenals of strikes they can throw. If Arman Tsarukyan comes into this fight sharp, there's no doubt that he'll be able to find the target against Dariush and search for the knockout finish.
However, this is a massive step-up in competition for Tsarukyan and we haven't seen him face a talented striker and grappler like Dariush. This may be too much too fast for Tsarukyan and if Dariush comes in fully healthy and focused, he should be able to pull this one out. He's still the No. 4-ranked lightweight in the world, so we're going to take a chance on the underdog for our prediction and take Beneil Dariush.
Final Beneil Dariush-Arman Tsarukyan Prediction & Pick: Beneil Dariush (+225)
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