Beneil Dariush believes he has ‘the upper hand in pretty much everything’ against Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 322

Beneil Dariush is eager to fight at Madison Square Garden, which has always been a goal of his.

Dariush is set to return to the Octagon at UFC 322 against Benoit Saint-Denis in a pivotal fight in the lightweight division. The timing works out perfectly for Dariush, who had circled the Madison Square Garden card as a potential return date.

“I mean, it’s cool,” Dariush said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com about fighting at MSG. “Not everyone gets to say they fought at MSG. It’s nice to be part of it. It’s a really cool opportunity, as far a venues, I’m not sure there is a higher level than MSG.”

Although Dariush is excited to fight at MSG, he was hoping to get someone ranked higher. He’s set to take on Saint-Denis, who’s ranked 13th, while Dariush is ranked ninth.

“I was thinking I was going to get someone ranked higher,” Dariush said. “It’s how the stories go: no one was available, or no one wanted to fight me, so I ended up with him. … He’s really well-rounded, but I think I am more experienced. I’m just as good in grappling, if not better; I’m just as good striking, if not better.

“Overall, I think I have the upper hand in pretty much everything. I don’t see where he has an advantage over me, but that is the point of fighting: we have to prove what we say. I’m looking forward to going in there and proving all over again what I’m capable of.”

Beneil Dariush is expecting a fun fight at UFC 322

Even though Beneil Dariush believes he has the upper hand in everything, he is expecting a very fun fight.

Dariush believes his technical skills will be the difference in him getting his hand raised at UFC 322 on Saturday night.

“I think it’s going to be a really good fight until it’s over,” Dariush said. “It’s going to be exciting, and that is what the fans want. That is all I can promise is I’m going to go out and fight to my best. If you are a fan of technical fighting, there are going to be a lot of techniques in there. I can’t say it will be Fight of the Night, but I can say it’s going to be as technical as I can be.”

Should Dariush get his hand raised at UFC 322, he hopes he can get someone ranked higher and get closer to a title shot.

“A win gets me an opportunity to fight someone in the top-seven, top-six, that would be ideal. If that happens, great. If not, it is what it is,” Dariush concluded.