UFC lightweight contenders Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano will collide in January.
The 35-year-old hasn’t been seen in the cage since a clash with Arman Tsarukyan last December. That bout saw Beneil Dariush get knocked out in his second straight fight, previously being finished by Charles Oliveira in June. Due to concerns about his brain health, the lightweight contender decided to take a yearlong hiatus.
In that time, Beneil Dariush has openly discussed a possible move to 170 pounds. However, it appears that the longtime UFC lightweight contender will be staying put at 155 pounds. Earlier today, the promotion took to social media to announce Dariush’s return against Renato Moicano in January at UFC 311.
For his part, the Brazilian is fresh off his headlining role against Benoit Saint-Denis in September. Renato Moicano dominated ‘God of War’ in France, handing the rising lightweight a second-round knockout loss. The victory was the 35-year-old’s fourth in a row, previously defeating the likes of Jalin Turner and Drew Dober.
RELATED: WATCH | ALEX PEREIRA AND JAMAHAL HILL NEARLY COME TO BLOWS IN CONFRONTATION AT UFC PI
🚨 BREAKING! Beneil Dariush will fight Renato Moicano at #UFC311 on January 18th!
(via. @ufc) #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/MKYH1PctTR
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 5, 2024
Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano added to UFC 311 in January
Following his win in September, Renato Moicano called for a showdown with Paddy Pimblett. However, the promotion has decided to go in a different direction and book the Brazilian against Beneil Dariush. While this lightweight bout is an excellent one, it’s far from the only big fight slated for UFC 311 next month.
Earlier this week, Dana White announced several fights for the January pay-per-view event. At the top of the bill is a rematch between UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, and Arman Tsarukyan. The co-main event is another title bout, as newly crowned bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will face Umar Nurmagomedov.
On the undercard will also be high-profile matchups such as Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill, and Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder. With today’s announcement of Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano, the UFC 311 card has only become more stacked.
What do you make of this UFC 311 fight announcement? Who do you expect to win? Beneil Dariush or Renato Moicano?
