UFC’s Beneil Dariush thinks he’s Paddy Pimblett’s “big brother”

Beneil Dariush welcomes Paddy Pimblett as his next opponent.

Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) has refuted rumors that he is scheduled to face Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) at UFC 309 in November, but would be open to the fight if offered. November is a possible return date for Dariush, and he believes a fight with Pimblett will produce the results he desires.

“I think overall it’s an exciting fight,” Dariush told Submission Radio. “I guess you could say jiu-jitsu cancels itself out, or there could be a lot of strikes. Maybe not. Maybe I’ll be able to knock him down. Or vice versa. There are so many maybes.”

“I haven’t fought in a while, so, damn, there are a lot of questions there too. So, I mean, I definitely think it would be an exciting fight. I think that’s a fight that the fans would enjoy. As far as the outcome of the fight, I’m not sure.”

The 35-year-old has not competed since his knockout loss to Arman Tsarukyan last December, his second consecutive stoppage loss. Pimblett remained undefeated when he forced a first-round submission from King Green at UFC 304 in July.

Despite their current different career trajectories, Dariush believes he would put a stop to Pimblett’s hype.

“I’ve struggled a little bit with striking the last couple of fights, but I think I have the edge as far as power goes,” Dariush said. “It’s really about who has the better timing and who can find the other guy. Paddy has an unorthodox striking style and he leads with his chin up, which makes for exciting fights.

“He comes in, does a lot of damage or gets hurt, and then all of a sudden you see him wrestling. It’s a fun fight to watch. I could see myself catching him early or vice versa. It’s one of those things where we would just go after him, right? But I really believe experience plays a role, and I think I’m the guy that goes in there and just beats him up. I’m, as you would say, his big brother.”