UFC Fight Night: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan Preview
Beneil Dariush lands ground and pound on Charles Oliveira. Credit: MMA Mania.
This Saturday, one of the most stacked Fight Night cards this year hits the cage. In the main event, two Lightweights face off with title implications when Beneil Dariush and Arman Tsarukyan collide. In the co-main, two more Lightweights looking to get their names in the title conversation face off in Bobby Green and Jalin Turner. Preceding them are former title holders, contenders, and various savages, all looking for a dominant victory. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.
Punahele Soriano vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
Punahele Soriano cracks Dusko Todorovic with a left hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Middleweight Bout
Punahele Soriano: 9-3-0, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Dustin Stoltzfus: 14-5-0, 2 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Soriano has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Dusko Todorovic (12-4-0), Oskar Piechota (11-3-1), and Dalcha Lungiambula (11-6-0). He has devastating power in his hands, with all his wins but two coming in the first round. On the feet, he’s at his most dangerous in the pocket, throwing massive hooks and always letting his hands go. Soriano occasionally mixes in kicks when he leaves the pocket, mainly to the head or body. He constantly moves forward and pressures his opponent, keeping them moving backward while he throws bombs. Training at the excellent Xtreme Couture, he loves to headhunt on the feet but has also shown some solid wrestling to complement his striking. Soriano started his career as a heavyweight and still possesses that power at 185 pounds.
Dustin Stoltzfus lands a takedown on Dwight Grant. Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC.
Stoltzfus has won one of his last five bouts and has a UFC victory over Dwight Grant (11-6-0). He’s a solid wrestler with good power that’s always willing to engage in the pocket. On the feet, he won’t rush, favoring power to volume and tending to throw kicks at range. Stoltzfus has decent distance management and is always coming forward, often using his striking to close the distance and pursue takedowns. He’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is capable of brutal slams. Training at Frankers Fight Team, he advances quickly on top and has solid top pressure, not letting his opponent out from under him. Stoltzfus has heavy ground and pound and a slick submission game, holding a victory via twister on his record.
Clay Guida vs. Joaquim Silva
Clay Guida throws a knee at Michael Johnson. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Lightweight Bout
Clay Guida: 38-20-0, 6 KO/TKO, 15 Sub.
Joaquim Silva: 12-5-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Guida has won two of his last five bouts and has wins over #10 ranked Lightweight Rafael Dos Anjos (32-15-0), former UFC Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (25-14-0), and Nate Diaz (22-13-0). He is one of the sport's most respected and beloved fighters, holding the fourth most bouts in UFC history at 35 and the fifth most fight time at 6:44:36. He’s always moving awkwardly, never telegraphing his shots, and always throwing in combination. Training at Team Alpha Male, Guida tends to blitz forward and unleash combinations, often dipping his head and throwing looping hooks and overhands. He’s willing to eat a shot to land one and can push a heavy pace across all fifteen minutes, still possessing excellent cardio and a granite chin. He’s an outstanding wrestler, averaging over 3 takedowns landed per fifteen minutes, and is relentless, always willing to work to get the fight to the mat. Guida has the third most takedowns landed in UFC history and constantly looks to elevate his opponent for a damaging slam.
Joaquim Silva lands a flying knee on Jesse Ronson. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Silva has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Jared Gordon (20-6-0), Jesse Ronson (22-12-0), and Reza Madadi (14-6-0). He uses a traditional Muay Thai Style, constantly moving and feinting and always keeping his hands high. He throws every punch with power but won’t telegraph his shots, always favoring power to volume. Silva has heavy kicks along with his hands, often mixing them in at the end of combos or throwing them at range. Training at Evolucao Thai, he does an excellent job changing up his shots, attacking the head and body evenly. A contestant on TUF 4 Brazil, he has solid head movement and distance management, not typically remaining in one spot for long. Silva has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but with just one takedown landed in his eight-year tenure, he’s unlikely to take the fight to the mat.
#9 Sean Brady vs. #11 (MW) Kelvin Gastelum
Sean Brady lands a takedown on Michael Chiesa. Credit: MMA Mania.
Welterweight Bout
Sean Brady: 15-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Kelvin Gastelum: 18-8-0, 6 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Brady has won four of his last five outings, with his best wins coming over #14 ranked Welterweight Michael Chiesa (18-7-0), Jake Matthews (19-7-0), and Court McGee (22-12-0). He is an excellent grappler averaging nearly 3 takedowns landed per fight in his UFC career, and has controlled nearly every opponent he’s faced. Training at Renzo Gracie Philly, he advances incredibly quickly on the ground and remains patient on top, using smothering top control to find submission openings. All of Brady’s submission wins have come via some kind of choke, so the fight is basically over if he can get a hold of his opponent’s neck. On the feet, he utilizes a boxing style, not moving his feet much but throwing constant feints with his hands. While he definitely prefers to take the fight to the mat, he won’t get desperate for takedowns and is willing to engage on the feet. The majority of Brady’s finishes have come after round one, showing he heats up as the fight goes on.
Kelvin Gastelum launches a left hand at Chris Curtis. Credit: Yahoo Sports.
Gastelum has won two of his last five fights and has victories over former UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping (30-9-0), Chris Curtis (30-10-0), and Jacare Souza (26-10-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter that’s highly durable and comfortable wherever the fight goes. He’s constantly moving and feinting on the feet, never staying in one sport or keeping his head on the centerline for long. Gastelum is willing to eat a shot to land one and has solid power, throwing every shot in combination and with purpose. Training at Fight Ready, he’s averaging one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and has a black belt in BJJ. He has heavy ground and pound and dangerous chokes, with three of his four submissions coming via rear naked choke. Gastelum has earned eight bonuses in his ten-year promotional tenure and is never in a boring fight, win or lose.
#8 Rob Font vs. #2 (FLW) Deiveson Figueiredo
Rob Font rains down ground and pound on Marlon Moraes. Credit: Essentially Sports.
Bantamweight Bout
Rob Font: 20-7-0, 9 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Deiveson Figueiredo: 21-3-1, 9 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.
Font has won two of his last five fights with wins over #13 ranked Bantamweight Ricky Simon (20-4-0), Adrian Yanez (16-4-0), and former Bellator Bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis (23-6-0). He is a hands-first fighter, preferring to do damage with his crisp boxing skills. Training at New England Cartel, he always fights behind his jab, has excellent footwork, and does a great job cutting off the cage. Font throws everything in combination and has fantastic output, averaging about 128 significant strikes landed in his last five bouts. He also has excellent hand speed and solid power, tending to heat up and increase his pace as the fight continues. He can grapple and averages about one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, but he is at his best when he’s holding the center of the cage and dictating the pace of the fight. Font never gets too wild or telegraphs his shots; he constantly moves and looks for different angles to attack.
Deiveson Figueiredo lands an uppercut on Brandon Moreno. Credit: MMA News.
Deiveson Figueiredo has won two of his last five with one draw, with wins over #1 ranked Flyweight Brandon Moreno (21-7-2), #7 ranked Flyweight Alex Perez (24-6-0), and Joseph Benavidez twice (28-8-0). He possesses unusual power for his size, throwing devastating hooks and kicks, often to the body. He used this power to tear through the flyweight division, holding the most knockdowns in Flyweight history with 11, and is tied for the most finishes at Flyweight, with 7. Training with Team Figueiredo, he is willing to engage in grappling scenarios, has a solid guard on the bottom, and can do significant damage from the top when not pursuing the submission. Figueiredo has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and seems to find submissions out of nowhere. He quickly closes the distance on the feet and can land severe damage without much space, usually with his hands. Before his trilogy with Moreno, Figueiredo finished seven of his ten UFC bouts and always looks to close the show early.
#12 Jalin Turner vs. #13 Bobby Green
Jalin Turner lands a head kick on Dan Hooker. Credit: MMA Mania.
Lightweight Bout
Jalin Turner: 13-7-0, 9 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Bobby Green: 31-14-1, 11 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.
Turner has won three of his last five outings, with his best wins coming over Brad Riddell (10-4-0), Jamie Mullarkey (17-6-0), and Josh Culibao (11-2-1). He’s an excellent striker who usually fights in an upright stance and throws everything in combination. He constantly pursues a finish but remains patient, never overextending or telegraphing attacks. Turner has power in both hands and is very fluid on the feet, quickly chaining attacks together and using various strikes. Training at Carlson Gracie Riverside, he’s averaging about one takedown landed per 15 minutes and has an impressive submission game, with two wins by submission in his last five fights. He’s as active on the ground as on the feet and constantly tries to improve position or find a finish. Turner is a huge lightweight, standing at 6’3, and uses his length by fighting at range and damaging his opponent without getting hit. He has excellent speed and power in both hands and has shown solid cardio, making him dangerous at any time.
Bobby Green lands a right hand on Drew Dober. Credit: MMA Mania.
Green has won two of his last five outings with one draw and has wins over Tony Ferguson (26-9-0), Lando Vannata (12-7-2), and Grant Dawson (20-2-1). Training at Pinnacle MMA, he is an excellent boxer, picking his opponents apart with quick combinations and damaging straights. He is rarely in a boring fight, always willing to go to the center of the octagon and exchange blows. Green has won Performance of the Night three times and Fight of the Night four times, backing up his scrappy tendencies. He also has excellent wrestling to supplement his striking, having defended 74% of takedowns attempted on him, and has a solid submission game and top control. He has landed 52% of his significant strikes and has defended 62% of strikes thrown at him, making him a relatively efficient striker. Green does a great job mixing up his strikes, attacking the head and the body evenly, and throwing the occasional kick to finish a combination.
#4 Beneil Dariush vs. #8 Arman Tsarukyan
Beneil Dariush throws a jab at Mateusz Gamrot. Credit: DraftKings Network.
Lightweight Bout
Beneil Dariush: 22-5-1, 5 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.
Arman Tsarukyan: 20-3-0, 8 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Dariush has won four of his last five bouts and holds victories over #6 ranked Lightweight Mateusz Gamrot (23-2-0), Tony Ferguson (26-9-0), and Diego Ferreira (18-5-0). He is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC, holding black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai. He is more than willing to brawl on the feet, regularly getting into slugfests and hanging in the pocket to land big shots. Training at Kings MMA, Dariush will throw kicks when at range and also has some solid knees in the clinch. Averaging about two takedowns landed and one submission attempted per fifteen minutes, his easiest route to victory is likely grappling, possessing excellent top control and wrestling. He will shoot for takedowns in the open but stays patient on top, never putting himself in compromising positions. Dariush also has excellent takedown defense, defending 80% of takedowns attempted on him during his nine-year UFC tenure.
Arman Tsarukyan throws ground and pound at Joaquim Silva. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Tsarukyan has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over PFL Lightweight champion Olivier Aubin-Mercier (21-5-0), Matt Frevola (11-4-1) and Damir Ismagulov (24-3-0). He has crisp kickboxing on the feet, throwing plenty of combos, ending with head kicks, and doing a great job moving in to land shots and back out to range. He will mix in some flashy spinning kicks and spinning backfists, staying calm and picking his opponent apart with quick shots and plenty of leg kicks. Training at Khabarovsk MMA and American Top Team, Tsarukyan has a solid wrestling background and is willing to initiate grappling exchanges to land ground and pound and pursue submissions. All 5 of the submissions on his record were via choke, so he is very dangerous if he can get a hold of someone’s neck. He’s highly durable and hasn’t been finished in the UFC despite facing top-level competition exclusively. Tsarukyan, on average, lands twice as many significant strikes per minute than he absorbs and is dangerous at all times.
Best Bets
Soriano to win by KO/TKO: While neither of these guys has the shiniest record, it’s pretty evident Soriano has not only a power advantage but also a better chin. Stoltzfus is coming off a 19-second KO loss, and facing a big-time power puncher, so the odds are not in his favor.
Figueiredo Moneyline: After repeatedly struggling to make 125 pounds, Figueiredo is finally moving up to Bantamweight. Although he’s moving up in weight, I think he’ll still be extremely powerful and explosive. Font is unbelievably durable, so I won’t count on a finish, but I think this could be a triumphant Bantamweight debut for the former Flyweight champion.
Dariush Moneyline: This fight is far closer than the odds might suggest. Despite Dariush being a sizable underdog (+245), I think he matches up extremely well with Tsarukyan. He definitely matches Tsarukyan’s skill on the ground, and I think he has an advantage on the feet. Dariush has the reach advantage and a far more advanced kicking game than his opponent, so if he can stay at distance, I think he can pick him apart.
Bonus Bet: Green by KO/TKO: After yet another struggle at the scales, Jalin Turner just barely made weight, coming in at 156 pounds on his second attempt. Bobby Green is coming off one of the best wins of his career and is looking in peak condition. If Turner’s weight cut was as bad as it appeared, who knows what kind of shape he’ll be in come Saturday. I’m confident that Green will find a finish in this one.
