Tag: Beneil Dariush

UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has looked back on the incident that led to his withdrawal from UFC Vegas 49.

On the February 26 card, Dariush was set to headline against Islam Makhachev in what was widely expected to serve as a title eliminator.

But with just over a week to go before the contest, it was announced that the Iranian-American had pulled out after suffering an injury in training, later confirmed to be a broken fibula.

Per Beneil Dariush (@beneildariush), the injury he suffered on Tuesday is a broken fibula bone. Still no timeframe for his recovery. Surgery may be necessary, but he is still weighing options on treatment.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 17, 2022

Dariush Knew The Injury Was Serious

Now almost a week beyond the event and some time after the injury, Dariush has detailed the moment his hopes of securing a title shot last month crumbled.

During an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, the 32-year-old revealed that a botched takedown caused his fibula to snap, admitting that the mistake that led to the painful moment was down to his own misjudgment.

“Woke up, feeling super good, weight was the best it had ever been. I was 171 in the morning, and I was like, ‘Man, this is incredible,’” Dariush recalled. “I went into practice. I’ve been feeling so good, I’ve been having people alternate. I’ve been making sure I have fresh guys on me all the time. That was basically what I was doing. I had a striker first, then I put a collegiate wrestler on me, only wrestling situations, and then I had one more guy after that. On my third guy, it was me who actually made the mistake.

“I grabbed my partner, I lifted him up, and as I was about to bring him down, my toe got stuck in the mat like never before,” Dariush continued. “When I brought him down, I brought him down over my knee and over my ankle, and the way my ankle twisted, I don’t even know, but it ended up snapping fibula.”

At that moment, Dariush knew this wasn’t an injury he’d be able to quickly overcome. While this was not the lightweight’s first dance when it comes to broken bones, he says the sound of the crack was worse than any he’d experienced before.

“I got a nice little crack in there… It’s just like, ‘Oh God, no, no, no, please no.’ I kinda had a feeling man, as soon as it happened,” said Dariush. “Because I haven’t heard a crack like that in my leg ever before. I’ve broken my chest before, and I remember the crack. And I’ve broken my foot and toes in my other legs, and I heard a crack. This one sounded worse than the previous. I knew something was up.”

Fortunately for Dariush, after seeing multiple physicians, it’s now been confirmed he will be able to avoid surgery and even return to training in as early as eight weeks. That will likely see him begin preparation for a re-booked title eliminator with Makhachev.

Per Beneil Dariush (@beneildariush), he has visited four physicians regarding his broken fibula. Three suggested physical therapy, one advised surgery. As of now, he is going with PT and trying to avoid surgery. Still no firm timeframe on his return, but no surgery is good news.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 22, 2022

Is it the right decision to re-book Beneil Dariush’s fight with Islam Makhachev later in 2022?

Continue Reading Dariush On Makhachev Withdrawal: “I Haven’t Heard A Crack Like That” at MMA News.

UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush has provided an update on his injury and given a potential timeline for his return to the Octagon.

Dariush, a mainstay on MMA’s biggest stage since 2014, was finally set for his first chance to secure a title shot in the UFC last month. Having amassed a seven-fight win streak that includes victories over Diego Ferreira and Tony Ferguson, the Iranian-born American secured his place in a likely title eliminator opposite fellow top-five contender Islam Makhachev.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck 11 days before the February 26 card. While grappling in training, Dariush suffered a broken fibula after getting his toe caught in the mat during a takedown.

Next week’s Islam Makhachev vs. Beneil Dariush main event fight is off, sources say.

Dariush injured his ankle and was forced to withdraw. No word yet on if Makhachev will remain on the card and/or what’s the new Feb. 26 headliner.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 17, 2022

Soon after, the serious nature of the injury came out, and Dariush appeared to be facing the possibility of surgery. However, the #4-ranked lightweight has now provided a positive update on his condition.

During a recent interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, the 32-year-old confirmed the injury is not as bad as initially feared, and will not require an operation. With that in mind, a feared four-month layoff from training has been reduced to just six to eight weeks.

“At first, they were talking four months just to start training again,” Dariush said. “So, when I heard six to eight weeks, I almost started crying.”

Now that a timeframe for his return to the gym is in place, Dariush is well-placed to provide an early guess on when fans will be able to see him enter the Octagon again. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt further told Okamoto that he’s targeting a return to action in the summer.

And after a recent revelation from UFC President Dana White, it appears Dariush’s next camp will see him preparing for a re-arranged clash with the #3-ranked Makhachev.

“Thank God, we’re going to reschedule. I feel bad for Islam. I’m sure he’s not happy about the situation, but it’s the ideal situation for me to get this fight rebooked. I’d like to have another 10 weeks for this camp, but if it’s shorter, it’s shorter. June, July, those are dates.” (h/t ESPN)

Dariush Was Looking At Gillespie/Tsarukyan Before Makhachev Revelation

Immediately after Makhachev’s comfortable triumph at UFC Vegas 49, which came against short-notice opponent Bobby Green, it appeared the Dagestani was in line for a title shot, a sentiment Khabib Nurmagomedov suggested White had shared to him.

But after the 30-year-old turned down a short-notice bout with Rafael dos Anjos for this weekend’s UFC 272 pay-per-view, the UFC President revealed the promotion would be looking to re-book Makhachev vs. Dariush later in the year, rather than grant the AKA product the next championship opportunity.

An interesting development in the UFC lightweight division @danawhite claims @MAKHACHEVMMA turned down the opportunity to fight RDA this weekend, so Makhachev will now fight Beneil Dariush. pic.twitter.com/HpRmsTC724

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) March 3, 2022

That certainly came as a surprise to Dariush, who told ESPN he was already scanning the lower-ranked names for a potential next foe.

“I was so bummed. At first, I thought it was gonna be, he’s gonna get the title shot,’” said Dariush. “I heard them saying, ‘Oh, Dana said he’s got the title shot,’ and things like that. Again, I went crashing into sadness, or whatever you want to call it. I was like, ‘Okay, I guess this isn’t in.’ And then I started looking at the top 10, I’m like, ‘Who am I gonna fight next? Who’s gonna be my next matchup?’

“I was looking at (Gregor) Gillespie, that was somebody I was looking at,” continued Dariush. “Who else was there… [Rafael Fiziev or Arman Tsarukyan?] I mean, Fiziev was supposed to fight Raf (dos Anjos) at the time. But yeah, Fiziev would’ve been another one. And then, man, Arman looked awesome (at UFC Vegas 49). I was really impressed with him. So, yeah, that would be another guy.”

Dariush’s recovery timeline has certainly made White’s plans more feasible. While you’d expect that to be a disappointment for Makhachev, who seemingly expected to be fighting next with gold on the line, the Dagestani responded by promising to “smash” the entire division if that’s what it takes.

I don’t care who you will put in front of me, I’ll smash this whole division

— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) March 3, 2022

If this fight does get re-arranged, who do you think will have their hand raised, Beneil Dariush or Islam Makhachev?

Continue Reading Dariush Avoids Surgery, Targets June/July Return Against Makhachev at MMA News.