Rivalries: Beneil Dariush

All indications point to Beneil Dariush having hit his stride.

More than eight years after he joined the roster, the longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt appears to have finally made inroads in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division. Dariush has rattled off seven consecutive victories, four of them finishes, since his stunning knockout loss to Alexander Hernandez in 2018. He last competed at UFC 262, where he laid claim to a unanimous decision over Tony Ferguson on May 15, perhaps setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown with fellow 155-pound contender Islam Makhachev.

As Dariush awaits his latest marching orders, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:

Ramsey Nijem

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13 finalist blasted through the previously unbeaten Dariush with punches in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 39 lightweight showcase on April 11, 2014 at Du Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Nijem finished it 4:20 into Round 1. A counter left hook marked the beginning of the end for Dariush. The Kings MMA representative retreated to the fence, where Nijem swarmed him with punches and threatened him with a guillotine choke. Dariush fought valiantly to remain a factor in the bout, but his adversary gave him no refuge. Nijem kept firing punches, moved to mount and ultimately settled in a kneeling position, unleashing one last barrage that forced the stoppage.

Jim Miller

Dariush leaned on his world-class ground game in claiming a unanimous decision from the former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder in their featured UFC on Fox 15 prelim on April 18, 2015 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Dariush, who capitalized on his opportunity as a replacement for the injured Paul Felder. After a closely contested first round, Dariush took off. The Rafael Cordeiro protege landed multiple takedowns, proved superior in the scrambles and slowly wore down Miller. Dariush achieved full mount on his fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt three times over the final 10 minutes. He also transitioned to Miller’s back with ease, utilized a suffocating top game and maintained a merciless pursuit of submissions.

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Edson Barboza

Already assured of retiring with one of the most electrifying highlight reels of all-time, the ex-Ring of Combat champion made Dariush his latest addition with a sensational knee strike in their UFC Fight Night 106 lightweight attraction on March 11, 2017 at the Northeast Olympic Training Center in Fortaleza, Brazil. It was later selected as Sherdog’s “Knockout of the Year.” Barboza withstood heavy pressure from the Kings MMA standout, pushed their battle to a second round and uncorked a concussive blow while countering a level change. Dariush, who had outperformed the Brazilian to that point, collapsed to the canvas 3:35 into Round 2, the impact having rendered him unconscious in an instant.

Evan Dunham

Dariush fought to a majority draw with Xtreme Couture product in their three-round UFC 216 lightweight feature on Oct. 7, 2017 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Judge Sal A’mato saw it 29-28 for Dariush, while Dave Hagen and Glenn Trowbridge struck even 28-28 scorecards. Dariush had the Las Vegas-based Oregon native in serious peril in the first round, where a pair of standing elbows sent him to the canvas. Dunham ate some hellacious ground-and-pound—including two brutal knees to the body—but refused to yield to his opponent’s advances. All the hard work cost Dariush valuable energy. Dunham responded in the second, as he secured a takedown and capitalized against the visibly fatigued Kings MMA export. Both men had their moments in Round 3 but failed to author the finish they needed and left their fate in the hands of the cageside judiciary.

Diego Ferreira

Multiple takedowns, stellar positional control and effective ground-and-pound carried Dariush to a split decision over the Fortis MMA rep in their three-round UFC Fight Night 184 rematch on Feb. 6, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three judges scored it 29-28: Jerin Valel for Ferreira, Chris Lee and Dave Hagen for Dariush. Ferreira withstood a brutal knee strike to the body in the first round but ran into considerable difficulty with takedown defense. Dariush grounded him repeatedly across the first 10 minutes, frustrating the former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder with his relentless effort. Ferreira, to his credit, never gave up his pursuit. He staggered Dariush with an overhand right and front kick in the first round, then used his hand speed advantage to rack up effective punching combinations in the third. However, Ferreira’s efforts fell short on the scorecards, and he went down to defeat for the first time in nearly six years. Dariush now owns a 2-0 advantage in their head-to-head series, having beaten the Brazilian by unanimous decision in their first encounter in October 2014.