The Comeback Kid: Untold story of Beneil Dariush's journey from retirement doubts to UFC triumph
Beneil Dariush is at the helm of one of the greatest streaks in UFC lightweight history. The Iranian-American has not lost a fought since 2018 and is currently spearheading an eight-fight unbeaten stretch, including a win over former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson.
This coming Saturday, he hopes to add another former champion — Charles Oliveira — to his record's win column. In an interview with CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri, the lightweight contender outlined how dejected he felt after suffering a 42-second knockout loss to Alexander Hernandez back in early 2018.
Just months before the start of his incredible run, Dariush had not tasted victory in two years. The loss to Hernandez was part of a rough patch of three fights consisting of two losses and a draw.
According to Dariush, no one, including him, believed he was capable of the comeback he eventually mounted:
"If you told a seasoned fan of MMA in, what was it, 2018, that this guy is gonna go on to put on this kind of record, they would tell you 'Nah, I don't think so. I don't see it happening.' I'll be honest with you, man, I really believe God is in the business of rolling stones. That's a song that I come out to, the 'Still Rolling Stones.' What that means is basically bringing the dead back to life. My career was dead, it was over, and nobody thought I was gonna make a comeback, including me, I'll be honest with you guys."
Perhaps the most alarming revelation is that Beneil Dariush considered retirement due to the difficult stretch he was on:
"I spent months in prayer, like 'should I keep fighting?' I was on the verge of retiring. And, I just, you know, little things here, little things there, I started to feel better and I said I'm going to make one more attempt. If it doesn't work out, this is it."
Catch the interview below:
Why didn't Beneil Dariush fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 288?
Beneil Dariush is currently scheduled to face former lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 289 this coming Saturday. However, the pair were originally scheduled to clash in the co-main event of UFC 288.
Unfortunately, the bout was removed from the card.
The scheduled lightweight fight between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush for UFC 288 on May 6 will be postponed due to an undisclosed injury to Oliveira, sources told @CCLegaspi.
UFC is working on a new date for the bout. https://t.co/kSGBxjcE1i
It was one of several fights that were axed from the card. The reason for the bout's initial delay was due to Oliveira sustaining an injury that rendered him unable to compete. According to the Brazilian, the injury took place during wrestling practice. Fortunately, he recovered in time to face Dariush at UFC 289.
For Beneil Dariush, a win could propel him into UFC title contention for the first time in his career.