Beneil Dariush still believes he could climb into UFC title contention

UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush still believes he could climb into title contention at 155 pounds with a few big wins.

For the longest time now, Beneil Dariush has been a notable contender in the lightweight division. However, after a few poor results in his last few outings, many have been left to wonder whether or not he still belongs in the elite class. Of course, he also has big wins under his belt, but the top 15 is starting to look incredibly stacked once again.

RELATED: Beneil Dariush reveals what Dana White did to make up for UFC 311 fight falling through

At UFC 317, Dariush will get the chance to prove himself when he locks horns with Renato Moicano. While it may not be a ‘do or die’ situation for his mixed martial arts career, he’ll certainly need to get through Moicano if he wants to even come close to a world championship opportunity.

In a recent interview, Dariush spoke candidly about his ambitions and his desire to go for gold.

Dariush looks ahead to possible title surge

“I could be maybe two fights away,” Dariush said. “If I have a good performance now, I beat a top five guy then I beat a top five guy, I’m in title contention. You never know. Sometimes one fight might be enough. It might take three. It will probably take two more fights to be honest with you.”

“I don’t think I have a preference, [on who is champion]” Dariush said. “I want the best fighter to win. It’s interesting to see if Ilia’s style will translate from 145 to 155, because there is a different size, but there is going to be a different pressure in that size difference.

“Will he be able to apply the same pressure at 155? Will he be able to handle the grappling at 155? I feel like the answer is yes, but I’m looking forward to seeing it, especially against a guy like Charles. Charles is fantastic.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie