Renato Moicano has been openly claiming he wants to beat Beneil Dariush at UFC 311 and then challenge either Islam Makhachev or Arman Tsarukyan for the title. However, despite his confidence, fellow lightweight contender Dan Hooker doesn’t believe the #10 fighter makes it out of the Dariush fight with his hands raised.
Hooker asserts that Dairush has the upper hand in both striking and grappling. While Moicano is known for his resilience and submission skills, Hooker insists that the style of fighting that got him wins over Benout Saint-Dennis, Jalin Turner, and Drew Dober will simply be ineffective against Dariush.
“He can not out grapple Beneil Dariush like he out grappled those three guys. In my opinion Beneil is technically the best grappler. Do I see Moicano out grappling Dariush, nah. Do I see Moicano out striking Dariush? It would be a hard night in the office.”
Dan Hooker doesn’t give Renato Moicano any chances to beat Beneil Dariush:
“[Moicano] can’t outgrapple Beneil Dariush like he outgrappled [his last three opponents] —Beneil is just too good… Do I see him even outstriking [Dariush]? It would be a hard night in the office.”
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) January 9, 2025
Writing Moicano off might be a mistake since the fighter is on a 4-fight win streak and Darisuh is on a 2-fight skid. But while Dariush aims to reestablish his standing among the elite, there is just a lot more on the line for him.
Dariush may hang his boots
The lightweight veteran, who hasn’t secured a win since October 2022, sees this fight as a pivotal moment in his 11-year UFC career.
For Dariush, this matchup isn’t just about redemption; it’s about gauging his future in the sport. He’s made it clear that his ultimate goal has always been to be a champion. While he still feels the desire and ability to compete at the highest level, at 35 years of age, he acknowledges that if he can’t prove it in the octagon, it may be time to consider calling it a day.
“That was the upper echelon of the division and I didn’t perform well… If I can only stay outside of the top 15, I don’t want to fight… There are so many other things I can do other than fighting. If I am not trying to be the best, it’s not worth it.”
Dariush’s last two losses have come by TKO, both of them having been in the very first round! So he’s not going to be particularly confident going into the fight.
He might be more skilled but Moicano is scrappy and despite Hooker’s claims could sneak in ways to find Dariush’s chin. However, the Brazilian also seems more focused on his long-term goal of winning UFC gold. Either way, this is a wild card of a fight.
