Could Beneil Dariush be the first challenger for newly minted UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira? He’s not banking on it, but also thinks it’s possible.

Dariush (21-4-1 MMA, 15-4-1 UFC) extended his winning streak to seven fights this past Saturday when he defeated Tony Ferguson by dominant decision at UFC 262 in Houston. He’s been on a massive upward trajectory in recent years, and is now one of the top-ranked contenders at 155 pounds as Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) begins the post-Khabib Nurmagomedov era with the title.

Although UFC president Dana White hasn’t committed to any specific scenario for Oliveira’s first defense, many view the winner of the Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor trilogy fight on July 10 at UFC 264 to be the clear front-runner for a title shot. Dariush doesn’t think that to be unreasonable, he said, but it also doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to happen.

With Poirier and especially McGregor being among the most notable names in the sport, negotiations have historically proven more challenging to finalize. Talks can go awry at any moment. Should that happen, Dariush said he’ll be ready to slide in.

“I think I (have) a little case for the title,” Dariush told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “In business numbers, that’s the fight that’s going to get the title shot. But here’s the thing: I’m the only guy with an actual streak in that division. That’s one thing. I have the longest streak in the top three right now. The other thing is these guys don’t get their contracts figured out that quickly. These guys, they’ll fight – I’ve seen contracts fall apart with Dustin and Conor. Things have not worked out for them. So, I’m sitting here and I’m ready to go.”

Dariush’s hypothetical has a fairly significant hold-up point on his end in terms of timing. He made it clear going into and coming out of his win over Ferguson that, due to the birth of his first child expected in the coming weeks, he has no intention of competing again until the tail-end of 2021.

He doesn’t necessarily expect Oliveira rushes to line up another fight, but Dariush thinks the timing could still work out in his favor.

“All you’ve got to do is give me a fight at the end of November or December,” Dariush said. “That’s all I’m saying. It’s not that far off. I’m sure Charles is going to want a break to celebrate in Brazil and do his thing. So, I’m here.”

Dariush is eager to get his hands on Oliveira should the opportunity arise. The pair were scheduled to fight in October, but Oliveira withdrew due to injury. His path since has led him to UFC gold, while Dariush’s has put him in a prime contender spot in the division. There are no hard feelings toward Oliveira on Dariush’s end, he said, but he would like the opportunity to finally share the cage and determine the better fighter.

“I’ve already thought about it before,” Dariush said of facing Oliveira. “I don’t know if you remember, but I was already matched up with this guy a few times. I’ve thought about how I would fight him, I’ve thought about how I would get after him, and I think it’ll be pretty exciting. I think people would really like it.”