Much like Akhmedov, Dariush is one of those streaking fighters people tend to overlook in the loaded lightweight division. For whatever reason, the main association fans and media seem to have with the 31-year-old veteran is his UFC 222 loss to Alexander Hernandez, which took place two-and-a-half years ago and, coincidentally, is the last time Dariush landed on the wrong side of the results.
Since that fight, the decorated grappler has gotten healthy and gone on an impressive four-fight winning streak, which includes submission wins over Drew Dober and Frank Camacho, a second-round knockout win over Drakkar Klose, and three straight Performance of the Night bonuses.
Saturday night, the Californian looks to extend his winning streak to five when he takes on another of the unsung talents in the lightweight division, Scott “Hot Sauce” Holtzman, who enters on a two-fight winning streak of his own and having won five of his last six bouts.
Dariush is a perfect example of a fighter who rocketed out of the gates, climbed into the rankings, and then stumbled through a three-fight stretch that included losses to Edson Barboza and Hernandez with a draw against Evan Dunham sandwiched in between. But looking at his resume as a whole, recognizing that just about everyone suffers through a rough patch in their career, and knowing that he was dealing with a persistent neck injury that severely limited his training casts Dariush in a different light and makes him an intriguing dark horse contender in the lightweight division going forward.
He already has a dozen UFC wins, including victories over Carlos Diego Ferreira, Jim Miller, and James Vick, and has been lights out since late 2018, showcasing steadily improving striking and a return to the suffocating grappling skills that made him an interesting prospect to watch when he first arrived in the UFC.
Winning five consecutive fights in the talent-rich lightweight ranks is difficult and if Dariush can accomplish that feat on Saturday with a victory over Holtzman, he too will emerge as a legitimate contender.
