Tag: Beneil Dariush

Beneil Dariush: UFC 311 fight vs. Renato Moicano could decide retirement

Beneil Dariush has revealed he will “more than likely walk away from the sport” if he can’t beat Renato Moicano at UFC 311.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] thinks the result of his UFC 311 fight against Renato Moicano will have a heavy influence on his future in mixed martial arts.

Winless since October 2022 and on a two-fight losing skid, Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) returns to competition in a lightweight bout against Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) on Jan. 18 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+)

The 35-year-old has been part of the UFC roster for nearly 11 years. He’s been knocked out in the first round of back-to-back fights against Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira, and now Dariush has come to what he considers a crossroads matchup with Moicano.

“I don’t know exactly when I’m going to retire,” Dariush told MMA Junkie Radio. “It’s one of those things where I’m going to be able to pinpoint to, ‘Hey, I’m 36. I’m done. I’m 37. I’m done.'” It’s really two things: Do I have the desire? Then the second part, which is just as important: Do I have the ability. Currently I feel like I have the desire, and I still feel like I have the ability. I don’t feel like I’m lacking, and I do believe I’ve gotten way better over the year. It’s been a really good year for improvement and growth.

“All that’s left is being actually able to prove it. Getting into that octagon and proving what I’ve been able to do. If I can do that, I’m going to continue to fight. If I can’t do that there’s obviously something missing, and you only get so many chances to fix it. It might be time to consider walking away from this. I have nothing against guys who fight for a long time, I have a lot of respect for these guys, but my desire was always to be champion. If I don’t have the ability to be champion, I would more than likely walk away from the sport.”

By the time Dariush gets in the octagon at UFC 311, he will have been off for more than 13 months. He described his physical condition as “the best ever” in his career, and he is keen to get back on track.

Dariush isn’t bothered by the fact he is the betting underdog against Moicano. He actually agrees that it’s justified. However, he said it’s only fuel to go out and offer a reminder why he’s been a ranked lightweight for the better part of a decade.

“I’m super pumped to get a name like Moicano, he’s been on a streak,” Dariush said. “I didn’t know who I was going to get. I called to get a fight and my thing has always been, fight the best guys in the world, try to become world champion, and that’s it.

“As far as who is the favorite and who is not, I think it makes a lot of sense that I would be the underdog, because I’m on a downhill right now and he’s on the uphill. It makes total sense. The question is, what version of Dariush are you going to get? That’s really the question people are asking.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano booked for UFC 311

Renato Moicano will look to build on his momentum against Beneil Dariush at UFC 311 in Los Angeles.

An important lightweight contender fight has been added to the first UFC pay-per-view event of 2025.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] and [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] will collide in a three-round bout Jan. 18 at UFC 311 from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., the promotion announced Thursday.

Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) enters the bout on a two-fight skid that consists of first-round TKO losses to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. The consecutive defeats have come after eight-straight wins.

Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) has won six of his most recent seven outings, with the lone loss a short-notice catchweight unanimous decision defeat to Rafael dos Anjos. Moicano has won three in a row, most recently brutalizing Benoit Saint Denis in September.

With the addition, the UFC 311 lineup includes:

  • Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan – for lightweight title
  • Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov – for bantamweight title
  • Jamahal Hill vs. Jiri Prochazka
  • Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac
  • Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
  • Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira
  • Muin Gafurov vs. Rinya Nakamura
  • Bogdan Guskov vs. Johnny Walker
  • Ailin Perez vs. Karol Rosa
  • Sedriques Dumas vs. Zach Reese
  • Raoni Barcelos vs. Payton Talbott
  • Bernardo Sopaj vs. Ricky Turcios

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.

Beneil Dariush: Paddy Pimblett fight would be exciting but ultimately I’d ‘big brother him’

UFC lightweight stalwart Beneil Dariush welcomes Paddy Pimblett as his next opponent.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] welcomes [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] as his next opponent.

Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) debunked rumors that he’s slated to face Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) at UFC 309 in November but would be open to the fight if offered. November works for Dariush as a potential return date, and he sees a fight with Pimblett delivering the goods.

“I think overall it’s an exciting fight,” Dariush told Submission Radio. “I think you could say jiu-jitsu cancels out, or it could be a lot of striking. Maybe not. Maybe I’m able to take him down. Or vice versa. There’s so many maybes.

“I haven’t fought in a while, so shoot, there’s a lot of questions back there, too. So, I mean, I definitely think it would be an exciting fight. I think that’s a fight the fans would enjoy. As far as how the fight goes, I’m not sure.”

The 35-year-old hasn’t competed since a knockout loss to Arman Tsarukyan last December for his second straight stoppage loss. Pimblett remained unbeaten when he ran through King Green for a first-round submission at UFC 304 in July.

Despite their current different career trajectories, Dariush thinks he’d derail Pimblett’s hype.

“I’ve been kind of struggling in the striking in the last couple of fights, but I think power-wise, I think I have an advantage in power,” Dariush said. “It would really be who has the better timing and who can find the other guy. Paddy has an unorthodox style of striking, and he does lead with his chin up, so it makes for exciting fights.

“He comes in, he does a lot of damage, or he gets hurt, and then all of a sudden you see he’s grappling it. It’s a fun fight to watch. I could see myself catching him early or vice versa. It’s one of those things where we would just go after it, right? But I really do think experience plays a factor, and I think I’m the guy that goes in there just kind of beats him up. I’m what you would say, big brother him.”

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Beneil Dariush open to Paddy Pimblett vs. King Green winner: ‘I mean, sure’

Beneil Dariush could find an opponent out of Saturday’s UFC 304 featured bout.

MANCHESTER, England – [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] could find an opponent out of Saturday’s UFC 304 featured bout.

Lightweights [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and [autotag]King Green[/autotag] (32-15-1 MMA, 13-10-1 UFC) square off on the main card (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.

Dariush has paid close attention to the fight, and while he sees Pimblett as the more well-rounded fighter, he thinks Green’s experience could help him prevail.

“If you look at the styles, most people would say that Paddy needs to grapple,” Dariush told MMA Junkie. “But I think his striking is quite underrated, as well. I think he has more tools to win. That being said, Bobby Green finds a way to win.

“He’s won some fights that I didn’t think he was going to win, and he pulled it off. I think this could be a similar situation. He does well under pressure, so this pressure could really work in his favor.”

Once owner of one of the longest winning streaks at 155 pounds, Dariush finds himself on a losing skid after back-to-back stoppage losses to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. Although he’d like to continue fighting the upper echelon of the division, he wouldn’t say no to the winner of Pimblett vs. Green.

“I mean, sure,” Dariush said. “I don’t know if they’re in the rankings quite yet, but rankings haven’t meant much to me in general. If the UFC calls me and says this is the name, then that’s the name. It’s always been like that for me. I’ve gotten to call out a few people a few times and it’s never actually worked out, so I prefer to let the UFC give me a call and we figure it out.”

Dariush took some time off after getting stopped in two straight fights, but his return has been further delayed due to a meniscus injury. He hopes to be back by the end of the year.

“My goal was actually to fight late summer, so (originally) in like a month from now,” Dariush said. “Now I think hopefully end of the year, maybe October, possibly November. That’s more my goal now.”

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Beneil Dariush handicaps UFC champ Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan as ’60-40′ or ’55-45′ fight

Beneil Dariush thinks Arman Tsarukyan has what it takes to threaten Islam Makhachev’s UFC lightweight title reign.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] has what it takes to threaten [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s title reign.

It is expected that Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) will challenge lightweight titleholder Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) later this year in a rematch of an April 2019 bout from UFC Fight Night 149, which saw Makhachev leave with a unanimous decision win a highly-competitive affair.

Both men were young in the UFC at that time, but have come a long way since and will run it back at the top of the game. Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) is one of Tsarukyan’s most recent opponents, having suffered a 64-second knockout loss in their main event at UFC on ESPN 52 in December.

Although Makhachev is the current No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Dariush doesn’t think Tsarukyan is that far off.

“I thought he looked really good (against Charles Oliveira at UFC 300),” Dariush told MMA Junkie and other reporters during an interview on the 2024 UFC Hall of Fame red carpet. “I thought he looked really good against Charles. Charles is a very difficult fight for most people, and he was able to pull it off. I think he has a really good shot against Islam.”

Despite thinking Tsarukyan has a solid chance at taking the belt, Dariush struggles to fully commit to picking against Makhachev, and said the result will likely come down to some key variables.

“I would favor Islam, like a 60-45 or a 55-45,” Dariush said. “It’s going to be a close fight. I think Makhachev is better at energy conservation.”

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Beneil Dariush responds to Dan Hooker’s callout for UFC 305 in Australia

Dan Hooker got a response to his UFC 305 callout from Beneil Dariush. Here’s what he said.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] issued a callout to [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag], and he didn’t get a yes, but he also didn’t get a no.

Last week, Hooker threw out several names he’d like to fight for UFC 305, which marks the return of the promotion to Hooker’s part of the world. The event is scheduled to take place on Aug 18 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Hooker, who’s a New Zealand native, mentioned Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) in the list of names he’d like to fight.

“Any human God made UFC 305,” wrote Hooker on X. “Dariosh/moycano/fiviev/spamshot. I don’t give a f*ck.”

Dariush responded to the callout, not fully committing to the idea but not closing the door on it either.

“Maybe,” Dariush told Helen Yee. “I have a lot going on, a lot on my plate right now, but if I can get it all figured out, maybe. I feel bad. This guy has been calling me out for so long, and normally, I just say yes to people, but he’s the one guy that I can never seem to get on the right schedule with.

“So maybe. Maybe we end up doing it in Australia. I love Australia except for the fact that they tax me like no other, so maybe not. Maybe we’ll do it in Vegas, or somewhere we don’t get taxed. We’ll figure it out. … I think it’s 20% or something stupid like that, and I’m trying to keep my money. I don’t know about Dan.

“… I prefer not to do it in Australia just because of that, but at the same time, I do love Australia, so I wouldn’t hate it. It wouldn’t be the end of the world. I would love to go there, fight, and then spend an extra week for vacation.”

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Beneil Dariush no longer chasing UFC fight vs. Dustin Poirier: ‘That shipped has passed’

UFC contender Beneil Dariush says Dustin Poirier never wanted to fight him anyway.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] is done campaigning and pushing for a fight against [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag].

Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC), who’s long been interested in a fight against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC), has lost hope on getting the much-desired opportunity and just doesn’t see it as a feasible an option as he once did.

Poirier teased retirement following his title loss to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev earlier this month at UFC 302. This has turned off Dariush.

“I think Dustin is going to be able to pick whoever he wants to fight, really,” Dariush said to Helen Yee. “For me personally, that shipped has passed. I look at Dustin as someone who’s kind of like retired at this point. He never wanted to fight me anyway. I don’t know, I think he’ll pick whoever he wants.

Dariush thinks Poirier will get to call his shot if he returns to the cage – but he’s not sure he even sure if that happens. Dariush is on the fence as to whether fans will see “The Diamond” fight again.

“Just thinking about his character, I don’t think he wants to go out on a loss,” Dariush said. “I think he’s going to want to come back and go out on a W, but we’ll see because if that’s your only motivation, that can be hard for fighting, too. So we’ll see. Maybe he retires.”

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After resting his body and brain, UFC’s Beneil Dariush targets end of summer return

Having to listen to his body following back-to-back knockout losses wasn’t easy for Beneil Dariush.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] just started easing his way back into contact training, and he’s ready to book a fight.

In 2023, Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) suffered back-to-back first-round knockout losses to Charles Oliveira in June, then Arman Tsarukyan in December. The setbacks forced Dariush to take some time off to let his brain heal, which he took seriously by only undergoing light training in the past few months.

“The whole goal was to be patient and to rest my body and most importantly my brain,” Dariush told MMA Junkie Radio. “Everybody around me was telling me to rest. So, I said I wouldn’t do anything too crazy.

“Just grappling and hitting mitts for six months and then I would slowly start to put on the small gloves and do small-glove sparring, really focused on grappling still. That started in May, as in now. I had one session so far, I think, and it was really fun. I missed it quite a bit.”

Dariush is always eager to compete, so having to listen to his body wasn’t easy. Ideally he’d like to return in summer when he’ll be receiving the 2024 Forrest Griffin Community Award at the UFC Hall of Fame ceremony as part of International Fight Week.

“The issue with me is I’m going to have to kill the competitor inside of me one day,” Dariush said. “My desire is always to fight. That’s actually the problem. It gets in my way sometimes, but also it’s brought me where I am. I can’t complain about it too much. That being said, obviously I want to fight, but I’m also a person who believes that God has his plans, and they’re better plans.

“If his plan is I’m done, I’m done, but currently I don’t think that’s the situation. I think I’ll be back soon. If it was up to me, it would have been yesterday. But obviously I’m trying to be patient, listening to my coaches, my wife, my family, and hopefully either end of summer or early winter or something. I definitely want to get a fight in before the year ends is what I’m trying to say.”

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UFC selects Beneil Dariush for 2024 Forrest Griffin Community Award

Lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has been picked by the UFC for the 2024 Forrest Griffin Community Award.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] has been named the 2024 Forrest Griffin Community Award recipient.

The UFC lightweight is being recognized by the promotion for his charity work assisting the less fortunate. The news was announced Saturday night during the UFC on ESPN 55 broadcast. Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) will receive a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice.

“Beneil does an incredible job giving back to his community,” said UFC CEO Dana White in a press release. “Beneil sets a perfect example of how athletes should use their platforms to raise awareness for the charitable causes they care about the most while helping those who are less fortunate. It’s an honor to present him with this award.”

The award, which was created in 2020 and named after former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, annually recognizes a UFC athlete for his or her exceptional volunteer and charity work and the meaningful impact their efforts have on the community.

Dariush will be honored with this award during the 2024 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which is set to take place June 27 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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In 2018, Dariush began partnering with the Shlama Foundation to raise funds and awareness while training for upcoming events. As a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, he conducted meet-and-greets and training sessions, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the organization.

Dariush used his first $50,000 fight bonus to fund two orphanages in Haiti in partnership with Promise Child Ministries. Cap-Haitian Children’s Home has two locations, each housing more than 20 students and a full-time staff of teachers, administrative employees, and custodians.

Dariush also gives back to the local community in California by teaching youth jiu-jitsu and self-defense classes at Kings MMA in Huntington Beach five days per week.

Past winners of the award include:

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UFC’s Dan Hooker: If Beneil Dariush ‘wants to see if he’s still got it, well, I can check’

If Beneil Dariush wants to know where he stands in the UFC lightweight division, Dan Hooker is happy to help him find out.

If [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] wants to know if he’s still got it, [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] is happy to help him find out.

Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) contemplated his fighting future after suffering his second consecutive first-round knockout to Arman Tsarukyan in the UFC on ESPN 52 headliner. Prior to that, Dariush was stopped by former champion Charles Oliveira, who snapped his eight-fight winning streak.

Hooker (22-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC), who’s riding some momentum after back-to-back wins over Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner, is down to scrap with Dariush this summer.

“I’ll fight Beneil in June,” Hooker said in an interview on ENGAGE’s YouTube channel. “Whether that be (Conor) McGregor’s card International Fight Week, if he’s just pulling everyone’s chain as he usually does. I hear (the UFC is) coming back mid-year sometime in Australia. That as well, it would be cool to fight close to home.

So, Benny is ranked above me coming off a couple of losses, but let’s go, baby. He’s come out and said, yeah, he wants to see if he still got it. Well, I can check, brother. I’ll check for you.”

Hooker appears to be back in training after breaking his arm just 11 days ahead of his Dec. 2 UFC on ESPN 52 matchup vs. Bobby Green, which required surgery.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2dU6NnSOd3/

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