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

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

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

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

While Dariush is excited to fight at MSG, he was hoping someone would get a higher rank. He will face Saint-Denis, who is ranked thirteenth, while Dariush is ranked ninth.

“I thought I was going to get someone higher in the rankings,” Dariush said. “Here’s how the stories go: Nobody was available, or nobody wanted to fight me, so I ended up with him. … He’s really well-rounded, but I think I have more experience. I’m just as good at wrestling, if not better; I can punch just as well, 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’s the point of fighting: we have to prove what we say. I’m looking forward to going in there and proving again what I’m capable of.”

Beneil Dariush expects a fun fight at UFC 322

Although Beneil Dariush believes he has the upper hand in everything, he expects a very fun fight.

Dariush believes his technical skills will make the difference when he raises his hand 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’s what the fans want. All I can promise is that I’m going to go out there and fight my best. If you’re a fan of technical fighting, there will be a lot of techniques in it. I can’t say it will be Fight of the Night, but I can say it will be as technical as I can.”

Should Dariush raise his hand at UFC 322, he hopes he can move someone higher up the rankings and get closer to a title shot.

“A win gives me the opportunity to compete against someone in the top seven, top six, that would be ideal. If that happens, great. If not, then it is what it is,” Dariush concluded.