Beneil Dariush wants to be a UFC champion (at lightweight or welterweight) not a gatekeeper

Beneil Dariush continued his winning ways by sneaking out of the Bridestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee with a win over Michael Johnson during last night's (Sat., Aug. 8, 2015) UFC Fight Night 73 event (video highlights).

The victory extended Beneil's win streak to five straight and six of seven overall inside the Octagon since exploding onto the scene just last year.

With a few more quality wins under his belt, Dariush could find himself staring down the barrel of a title shot sooner, rather than later. The only problem is, his friend and training partner, Rafael dos Anjos, currently lays claim to the throne at 155 pounds.

But before you start asking Dariush of a potential scrap against "RDA," he and his Kings MMA team already have the situation covered, as Darisuh revealed during the post-fight press conference (video replay) that a move up in weight class will happen before they ever cross paths.

"No, I want to be champion. We have talked about this. Master Rafael Cordeiro, Rafael dos Anjos and I, we've sat down before and we talked like this. We are going to keep fighting, see where I stand, and if UFC starts pushing me to fight Rafa, then I will move to 170 or Rafa said he will want to move to 170. So, it just depends on where we are at in our careers. So, we will make that decision when we get there, but I am not looking to be a gatekeeper. I want to be a champion; whether it's a t 170 or 155, I don't care."

Of course, Beneil's victory was marred with controversy, as many -- Dana White included --  felt "The Menace" should have gotten the nod (scorecard here).

Nevertheless, what's done is done and Dariush has set himself up nicely as a title contender.

And should Dos Anjos run the gauntlet and keep his 155-pound title for an extended period of time, then it looks like "Benny" will be packing on the pounds in search of UFC gold at a 170 pounds.

Anyone see him making championship noise at either weight class?

For complete UFC Fight Night 73: "Teixeira vs. Saint Preux" results, including play-by-play updates, click here.