On the main card of UFC 317, we saw a lightweight matchup between two ranked contenders who were supposed to fight earlier this year. Contenders Beneil Dariush (23-6-1) and Renato Moicano (20-7-1) squared off with a potential spot in the top ten on the line.
I was really surprised by the narrative surrounding Beneil Dariush ahead of this fight. Had these two been paired up against each other a couple of years ago, Dariush would’ve been a massive favorite. He entered the octagon on Saturday as the underdog because he had lost to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan.
The top two lightweight contenders in the world apparently turned Beneil Dariush into someone that many people doubted. However, I thought he was going to win on Saturday night and that’s exactly what he did. Dariush put on an incredible performance and was really only in trouble during one spot.
After winning the majority of the first round, Dariush was dropped in the final minute of the round which gave the round to Moicano. From there, Dariush used his superior wrestling and control to really dominate the final two rounds of the fight. He won 90% of this fight and got back in the win column at UFC 317 with a unanimous decision win.
What’s next after UFC 317?
You couldn’t ask for a better guy than Beneil Dariush and I was so happy for him on Saturday night. Dariush didn’t call out any names and he’s not a guy who is looking for fame. He’s just a guy who will answer the call whenever the UFC calls his name. With that being said, who should be next for him?
Given the current landscape of 155, I actually like two different fights for Dariush. The fight I like the most is a matchup with Michael Chandler. Yes, Chandler is ranked behind Dariush and he’s on a losing streak. However, Chandler still has a big name and that could be a really big win for Dariush should he get his hand raised.
Another name to watch out for would be Benoit Saint-Denis. I’m sure the UFC wants BSD to fight in September on the Paris card and if Dariush is willing to turn around quickly, I could see that being a matchup that they’d be interested in doing next.