Beneil Dariush saw his eight-fight winning run ended by Oliveira in the opening round of UFC 289. With the victory, “Do Bronx” won a rematch with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi.
Dariush believes he had an off-night against Oliveira despite getting the fight to the ground early, and he’d win in a rematch. From the start, Oliveira was clear that he wasn’t in for a long-haul match. He caught Dariush off guard with a head kick, which made Dariush change gears and get in close for some wrestling. Oliveira then pulled a bit of a surprise move by going to the ground and letting Dariush take the top position. Dariush took advantage of this and went for some ground-and-pound action while keeping an eye out for Oliveira’s tricky leg lock attempts.
Back on their feet, Oliveira managed to sneak in another head kick that found its way around Dariush’s defense. That kick had Dariush stumbling a bit, and Oliveira didn’t waste time. He landed a solid right hand that really rocked Dariush. Seeing his chance, Oliveira went in with ground strikes, and although referee Jason Herzog gave Dariush every chance to recover, eventually, he had to step in and call the fight.
Continue reading to find out how Dariush plans to improve his fight game to dominate Oliveira next time!
During his appearance on UFC Unfiltered, Dariush mentioned that he had experienced losses and successfully rebuilt himself each time. He expressed his uncertainty about the reasons behind the outcome of the recent fight, noting that he felt something was lacking that night. He emphasized his commitment to identifying and addressing the issue to present an improved version of himself in the future. Dariush conveyed his belief that if they were to fight again, he would emerge victorious while acknowledging his opponent’s strength.
Having faced setbacks before, Dariush has demonstrated resilience in his journey. Following three consecutive winless bouts, which included an unexpected knockout loss to newcomer Alexander Hernandez, he went on an impressive eight-fight winning streak. Dariush intends to recover from his recent defeat using a similar approach.
At 34 years old, he drew inspiration from the accomplishments of bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Dariush cited Sterling’s example, particularly his fight against Marlon Moraes, as evidence of overcoming challenges. He emphasized that he refrains from dwelling on excuses and remains focused on his own path. Dariush’s perspective is centered on the belief that he has the capability to rebuild his standing and prove his dominance to the world.
So, what do you guys think? Will Dariush reclaim his name in the fight game? Let us know in the comments!
