Beneil Dariush Explains Why He Hasn’t Fought Charles Oliveira: I Might Get Overlooked Again

Dariush is concerned he might get overlooked once more even if he gets a matchup with 'do Bronx' and wins

Beneil Dariush, Charles Oliveira
Credit: Beneil Dariush, Charles Oliveira (via Instagram)

Beneil Dariush explained his frustrations in getting a matchup with Charles Oliveira and voiced his concerns regarding the possibility of getting passed up again for a title shot.

Top-five-ranked lightweight contender Dariush was last seen in action against budding prospect Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280 last October. He established his place in the mix of title contention by snapping Gamrot’s four-fight winning run. He extended his streak to eight with victories over notable opponents, including Tony Ferguson, Drew Dober, and Diego Ferreira.

Following his win over Gamrot, there were calls for Dariush to get a title shot or a top contender bout with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.

Beneil Dariush explains why he hasn’t fought Charles Oliveira yet

In a recent interview with The Schmo, Beneil Dariush shared his frustrations in getting booked for a fight with Charles Oliveira.

“Here’s the thing I’ve been having with Charles,” said Dariush. “The UFC originally asked me what I thought of fighting him in Brazil. I needed a little bit more time because my MCL was torn. I didn’t know it was that bad. It was torn. I’d like to just start my camp fresh. I asked for a little bit extra time and asked if we could do February. They said, ‘okay, yeah. We will do February.’ Then, February turned into March, March turned into April, and now they are talking about May. I’ve been waiting for a while and it kind of bugs me.”

Dariush is worried he might miss out on a title shot

The 33-year-old believes he could get overlooked for a title shot even if he manages to defeat Oliveira given the delay in the expected showdown.

“I think I might get passed up again because even after I beat Charles Oliveira, what I think could happen is, since we are waiting so long, they’ll set up Islam or Volk, whoever wins, with somebody else. They’ll be like, ‘oh, you just fought’ and announce the fight at the same time or something.”

“I’m just waiting to see what happens but I wish I had the fight earlier. I would have loved to have fought in March or even April.”

Reigning 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev will face featherweight titleholder and pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski in his first title defense on Feb. 11 at UFC 284.

Published on January 26, 2023 at 5:35 pm
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