Common opponent predicts Quillan Salkilld vs. Benoit Saint Denis at UFC Sydney - MMA Junkie
Beneil Dariush's past two fights have been against Quillan Salkilld and Benoit Saint Denis, so he has particularly strong insights on the UFC Fight Night 298 main event.
Salkilld (13-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) will look to continue his red-hot octagon start on Feb. 6 when he clashes with Saint Denis (17-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in a five-round lightweight headliner from Afterpay Arena in Sydney (Paramount+). Both men have beaten Dariush within the past 12 months.
Salkilld defeated Dariush by first-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 275 in May, while Saint Denis knocked him out in 16 seconds at UFC 322 in November 2025. It wasn't a ton of cage time in each bout, but the preparation and experience with both men allow Dariush to get a good read on the upcoming 155-pound bout.
"I got to feel more of the skill of Quillan," Dariush told MMA Junkie. "I have to say, he's very skilled. His grappling felt very good, his balance felt excellent. To be honest with you, I haven't been able to hit the mitts for maybe the last six months because of his head. The one punch I landed on him felt like one of the hardest punches I've ever landed, and he still didn't go down. So he has a great chin, he has great striking, great grappling – and man, I don't see him making a lot of mistakes either. He's very patient. He doesn't make mistakes, so he's a very dangerous fighter.
"On the other hand, I feel like Benoit's on the other side of that. He's a reckless guy, he goes in and he takes a lot of risks, and I think this fight it will work against him. I think if Benoit doesn't fight more mature, more patient, and really add a lot of fakes to his game, I think this is going to be a difficult fight for him. But this is a cool fight. I'm looking forward to the clash of styles, because they really are quite different. Quillan really is one of those guys that sticks to the gameplan from what I've watched in all his fights."
Although Saint Denis, No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, holds the superior position to No. 9-ranked Salkilld, it's clear to Dariush (23-8-1 MMA, 17-8-1 UFC) that the Aussie is the more compelling side of this bout.
Salkilld, 26, has been a force since his February 2025 promotional debut. He's finished five of his six opponents with five bonuses, and his past two wins against Dariush and Mateusz Gamrot have been particularly impressive.
"Yes, I do see him as (a future champion)," Dariush said. "If I see any weaknesses in his game, it's that his game is so black and white. I don't know if that makes sense. I know what the striking looks like, I know exactly when he wants to grapple. He shows everything. He's so clean with it that even though you can see what's coming, you can't really stop it. The advantage I took off the punch I landed was I knew he catches the kick. He catches it very Muay-Thai style. I threw a slap kick to the head and pulled it back fast and knew he was going to rush, and that's how I was able to land.
"If he can hide things better, his game would improve so much. Absolutely championship material. If he can just hide his weapons a little bit, because he has so many of them, I think he would be much more difficult to deal with, even though he's already kind of unstoppable it feels like."
To hear more Dariush, check out his complete appearance on "The Bohnfire" podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn above.
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