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Beneil Dariush is one of eight fighter in UFC history to win eight consecutive fights in the lightweight division. Of that group, however, he is the only one who never had a chance to fight for any version of a title.
Although Dariush’s (23-6-1 MMA, 17-6-1 UFC) winning streak ended in June 2023, and he’s up-and-down results in the years since, he remains very bullish on his future. The championship is not out of reach in his opinion, and he intends to convince others of that truth, too, starting with his UFC 322 matchup against Benoit Saint Denis (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) on Nov. 15 in New York.
“It’s good to be coming off a victory – losing is really hard for me,” Dariush told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’ve spent a lot of time on my craft and believe I’m the best in the world and I want my opportunity to prove it. Unfortunately I fell short, but now I’ve got to work to get back to that position.
“I don’t feel like I’m going to slow down. I think things are going to turn around and I’m going to go on an even greater run than I was on before.”
At 36, conventional wisdom from the sport says Dariush is nearing or at the end of his prime. He will have to show that’s not the case against the 29-year-old Saint Denis, who has also bounced back from a two-fight losing skid to position himself for a fight against a notable divisional veteran like Dariush.
“He’s very well rounded,” Dariush said. “I can win in many different ways, and I can also lose in many different ways. It’s going to be a tactical fight and ultimately I think whoever is more well-rounded is going to win this fight. I have to make sure I’m staying sharp on everything. Offence, defense and all the in between. It’s the little gaps in MMA that make a big difference, so I just have to stay sharp.”
Prior to the matchup with Saint Denis coming along, Dariush said there were some discussions with the UFC brass about a rematch with Mateusz Gamrot, who headlines Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 261 card against former champion Charles Oliveira.
Dariush, who beat Gamrot by split decision at UFC 280 in October 2022, said he expects that fight to be run back at some point, but with much higher stakes.
“I figured I would just fight Benoit cause we never fought before,” Dariush said. “I think Gamrot and I will fight in the future, but I think it will be for the belt, because I think we’re both of that level and will eventually be there.”
