UFC 317: Beneil Dariush 'extremely disappointed' Islam Makhachev moved to welterweight
LAS VEGAS – Beneil Dariush admits he had to do a mental reset after Islam Makhachev announced his move to welterweight.
Dariush saw Makhachev as a prime target and huge motivation in his stride toward the top of the lightweight division, but his tenure will officially come to an end Saturday at UFC 317 when a new 155-pound titleholder is crowned between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira at T-Mobile Arena (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
On the main card of the event, Dariush will take on Renato Moicano, who got the opportunity for his long-eluded fight against Makhachev when he stepped into January's UFC 311 headliner on one days' notice after Arman Tsarukyan fell out.
Now that fight is seemingly entirely out of his grasp, and Dariush admits that reality was tough to cope with.
"I was extremely disappointed," Dariush told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday's UFC 317 media day. "While I was on the win streak, and then also again possible in January, I thought I was going to get picked to fight him. And I was feeling really good in January, and it didn't happen. It was tough. We really had to work through that one."
"I think he's going to do well. I think it'll more striking than grappling. (Jack Della Maddalena's) defense seems really solid and he's going to continue to work on it and I think actually the easier path will be striking for Makhachev."
After the fight between them was called off at UFC 311, Dariush and Moicano will finally meet this weekend. And with it taking place on the same night a there will be a reset and new champion, there's a chance to make a stateent.
"I think I'm better than him everywhere. I'm pretty sure wherever the grappling goes, I'll be fine," Dariush said. "I think I could be one or two fights away from the belt again, hopefully."
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