Beneil Dariush next fight: Who is 'Benny' fighting at UFC 280?

Beneil Dariush is set to face Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev later this month. Both fighters are in impressive form, with Dariush winning his last seven UFC bouts and Gamrot unbeaten in his last four outings. The Polish fighter only joined the UFC in 2020, but has been very active since his debut against Guram Kutateladze.

'Gamer' suffered his first professional MMA defeat when taking on Kutateladze, but has since remained unbeaten. The 31-year-old has beaten the likes of Scott Holtzman, Jeremy Stephens, Diego Ferreira, and Arman Tsarukyan. Gamrot currently sits ninth in the UFC lightweight rankings and will face his toughest test when taking on #6-ranked Beneil Dariush.

Despite Dariush being higher rated than Mateusz Gamrot, the Iranian will have to be careful, with Gamrot finishing three out of his four UFC wins before the final bell. Only Arman Tsarukyan took 'Gamer' to the judges' scorecards.

UFC 280 also hosts a very important lightweight fight, with Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev both hoping to win the vacant UFC lightweight belt. Oliveira is keen to face Conor McGregor, but both Dariush and Gamrot will likely be hoping for the next title shot.

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Who was the first fighter to beat Beneil Dariush in professional MMA?

After successfully navigating his UFC debut against Charlie Brenneman at UFC Fight Night 35 in 2014, Beneil Dariush suffered his first defeat as a professional MMA fighter. Ramsey Nijem managed to beat 'Benny' via TKO in the very first round at UFC Fight Night 39, three months after his UFC debut.

Dariush's professional MMA defeats have all come under the UFC banner. Michael Chiesa, Edson Barboza and Alexander Hernandez also managed to beat the Iranian. When losing a fight, 'Benny' has never made it past the second round, but has only been submitted once.

Watch Dariush's latest UFC outing here:

Beneil Dariush's worst run of form came between 2017 and 2018, with 'Benny' going winless in three bouts. After losing against Edson Barboza, the 33-year-old went on to draw against Evan Dunham and suffered another defeat when facing Alexander Hernandez.

However, since this poor run, Dariush has looked unstoppable. 'Benny' is currently on a seven-fight winning streak, winning four of these UFC outings via stoppage. Dariush will now take on Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev later this month.