Lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has announced his eagerly anticipated fight against #6 ranked Charles Oliveira is off and he is currently exploring other options with his management and the UFC.
AG Fight first reported the news of a fight between Dariush and Oliveira a few weeks ago. The bout was later verified by MMA Junkie. The fight was never officially confirmed but was expected to take place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on October 3.
Unfortunately for some unknown reason, the Brazilian submission specialist has fallen out of the fight. Dariush announced the news to his followers on Instagram, he wrote.
“After my fight with Scott Holtzman, the UFC offered me a fight with Charles Oliveria on Oct 3rd. I accepted and so did Charles. I did not announce it because I was waiting on the UFC to announce it and I would follow. I been informed Charles is out of the fight. I am not sure of the details but I hope all is well with Charles. I am currently working with the UFC to figure out the next step. I will keep you all posted on the details. Finally, even though the fight did not come to fruition I want to thank the UFC, Sean Shelby, and my brother, Ali Abdelaziz for setting this up.”
Since suffering a shock upset against UFC newcomer Alex Hernandez in 2018 Dariush has been on a tear. The American-Iranian fighter has won five straight. Dariush has picked up impressive wins over the likes of Thiago Moises and Drew Dober. Last time out he knocked out Scott Holtzman with a spinning backfist at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik.
Oliveira is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak which have all come inside the distance. Last time out he got the biggest win of his career when he submitted Kevin Lee in the UFC Brasilia main event. The #6 ranked lightweight fighter has since been calling for fights against the likes of Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier.
Who do you think Beneil Dariush should fight instead of Charles Oliveira?