‘Crank’ braces for strong foe

Frank “The Crank” Camacho, right, will duel Beneil ‘’Benny’’ Dariush in the UFC Fight Night 162 in Singapore on Oct. 26. (Contributed Photo)

Frank “The Crank” Camacho is aware how formidable his foe is and that’s enough motivation for him to go all out in the UFC Fight Night 162.

Camacho will be facing Beneil ‘’Benny’’ Dariush, one of the highly-regarded fighters in the lightweight division.

“How good of an opponent Beneil is? He’s fought the best in the division and has wins over some of them. He has fought the who’s who in the division. That is definitely keeping me motivated,” the Marianas warrior said.

Dariush holds a 16-4-1 win-loss-draw record (3 KO wins, 7 submissions, and 6 decisions) and won his last two UFC bouts. He had nine UFC victories, including impressive ones against Jim Miller, James Vick, and Michael Johnson.

Vick was on winning streak (nine straight wins) when the 30-year-old Dariush prevailed in their bout in UFC 199 last June 4, 2016, via KO (punches) at the 4:16 mark of the first round. Johnson was also on a roll (fourth consecutive victories) when he dueled Dariush in UFC Fight Night 73 in August 2015 and the latter pulled off a split decision win. Dariush also won by decision (unanimous) against Miller in UFC on Fox 15 in April 2015.

“Utmost respect for Dariush. I’ve met him multiple times and he’s a class act. Martial artist at its finest. He is very technical all around and at one point was ranked No. 6 in the lightweight division, arguably one of the toughest divisions in the UFC,” Camacho said.

The Guam-born, CNMI-raised Camacho believes being paired against one of the tough fighters in the lightweight division will boost his stock.

“Every opportunity to fight in the UFC is great. After a successful win in Sweden, I am honored the UFC has me matched up against the No. 16 ranked lightweight. It’s a huge opportunity for me to climb the ranks in the division and really make a name for myself,” he said.

Camacho is currently in California to prepare for his second bout of the year.

“I will be doing my seven-week fight camp with Team Oyama in Irvine,” the 30-year-old.

Camacho trained with the same group when he pounced on Germany’s Nick “Sergeant” Hein to earn a TKO win in the UFC Fight Night 153 in Stockholm in June this year.

The Camacho-Dariush clash will be held on Oct. 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium—the same venue where the Marianas fighter had his first UFC fight.

“Singapore has a very special place in my heart. It’s where I made my UFC debut. The Singapore fans are awesome and the country is beautiful. I cannot wait to go back, fight in front of amazing Singaporean fans, and earn the win against Dariush on Oct. 26. The Marianas will be coming full force!” Camacho said.