Beneil Dariush's stunning KO wins UFC fans choice 'Comeback of the Year 2020'
The UFC fans have spoken, and they have chosen Beneil Dariush's KO as the 'Comeback of the Year 2020'.
Dariush's spectacular comeback KO victory over Drakkar Klose at UFC 248 back in March earned the top vote among fans. Dariush's knockout edged out other exciting comeback performances from 2020, including Daniel Rodriguez's knockout of Dwight Grant, Damon Jackson's guillotine of Mirsad Bektic, and Chase Hooper's heel hook against Peter Barrett.
At UFC 248, lightweights Beneil Dariush and Drakkar Klose squared off in a featured main card bout. Early in the second round, Klose began to tee off on Dariush, and landed a number of massive punches. Just when Dariush appeared to be moments away from being knocked out, he wobbled Klose with an overhand right. Dariush rallied back with solid strikes of his own, putting Klose on the defensive. Dariush ended things with a massive left haßnd that put Klose out for good.
The thrilling KO victory also earned Dariush a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Beneil Dariush goes perfect in 2020
Beneil Dariush's 2020 campaign in the UFC was perfect, as he went undefeated in two bouts. Dariush kicked the year off with his Comeback of The Year-winning KO against Drakkar Klose at UFC 248 back in March.
In August, Dariush followed up with another spectacular knockout, this time in the form of a spinning back fist against Scott Holtzman.
Beneil Dariush was scheduled to return to action against Charles Oliveira in October. Oliveira had to pull out of the fight however, and Dariush remained on the shelf for the rest of 2020. Oliveira returned to action at UFC 256 in December of 2020, earning a unanimous decision win against Tony Ferguson. The win pushed Oliveira into the top-5 of the lightweight UFC rankings.
Dariush, meanwhile, still hopes to be able to share the Octagon with Oliveira. In a November interview, Dariush said he still wants the fight with Oliveira to take place.
Currently, Beneil Dariush is the number-12 ranked contender in the UFC's lightweight division, Oliveira meanwhile, is the number 3-ranked contender in the division. Unfortunately for Dariush, he may have to climb a few ranks to be able to get matched up with Oliveira. According to reports, the Brazilian submission specialist is being discussed as a possible opponent for number 1-ranked lightweight contender and former title challenger Justin Gaethje.