Here are Jack Green's best UFC picks for Tony Ferguson v Beneil Dariush at UFC 262. Visit the Betway Insider for picks on all the biggest fights.

Ferguson v Dariush odds

Saturday night’s co-main event in Texas sees former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson try to get back on track against the steadily improving Beneil Dariush.

Ferguson became one of the most popular fighters in the UFC during a 13-fight winning streak that lasted more than six years, seeing off elite opponents such as Edson Barboza, Rafael dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis and Kevin Lee, capturing the interim belt in the process.

El Cucuy was hugely unfortunate to never get a shot at the undisputed title before his streak came to an end in an emphatic TKO defeat to Justin Gaethje in May 2020, and he followed that up with another loss to Charles Oliveira – who fights for the title in Saturday’s main event – last December.

Ferguson’s time as a top contender could be over if he loses this fight, and Dariush looks a formidable opponent.

The Iranian-born American is on a six-fight winning streak of his own, with his latest victory coming by split decision against Carlos Diego Ferreira in February.

Dariush looked an excellent prospect when he first joined the UFC back in 2014, but a tough spell in 2017 put his future with the promotion in doubt. He’s bounced back, though, and could be on track for a title shot very soon if he puts Ferguson away in style.

Dariush currently has a 20-4-1 professional record and is the favourite to earn his 21^st career win on Saturday.

Ferguson is the underdog in what really is a must-win fight.

Ferguson v Dariush prediction

At his best, Ferguson is an incredibly dangerous fighter who can win in several different ways. He’s an unorthodox striker capable of picking apart his opponent at range, has the stamina to fight at a relentless pace for five rounds, and is a huge threat on the mat with eight submission victories to date.

It’s been a while since we last saw the Ferguson at his best, however. He was totally overwhelmed in his defeat to Gaethje and was outwrestled by Oliveira. Now at the age of 37, a rebound looks unlikely.

Dariush changed his style after a three-fight period between 2017 and 2018 in which he lost to Edson Barboza and Alexander Hernandez and drew with Evan Dunham, and he’s much more dangerous as a result.

While he’s always been an excellent technical striker, his recent winning streak has seen him take a more gung-ho approach, pushing forward and looking for the finish with big shots.

With four of his last five wins coming inside the distance, that new approach has clearly been working for Dariush and this looks a great match-up for his new style considering how badly Ferguson has struggled against pressure in his last two fights.

Ferguson has a great chin, so a finish may be a step too far for Dariush on Saturday, but he’ll very likely dominate the first round against the notoriously slow-starting 37-year-old and looks a great bet to win comfortably on points.

Dariush to win by decision

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