Beneil Dariush reveals why he mistakenly assumed he was fighting Islam Makhachev at UFC 311, shares wife's reaction: "She was gonna kill Ali"

Beneil Dariush recently shared a candid account of how he mistakenly believed he would step in to face Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 311. Makhachev was originally slated to defend his belt against Arman Tsarukyan.

However, Tsarukyan withdrew due to injury, sparking a reshuffle in the card. UFC president Dana White confirmed that Renato Moicano, originally scheduled to face Dariush, would now fight Makhachev instead, leaving Dariush without a bout at UFC 311.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Dariush recalled how he was preparing for his fight when he received a message from his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, asking if he could make the 155-pound weight limit.

Confident in his ability, Dariush proceeded with the weight cut, only to learn later that Moicano had been chosen as Makhachev’s replacement. Dariush admitted he was disappointed but resigned to the situation, knowing he would still receive show-and-win money. He said:

“9 O’clock I start rehydrating I go back to my room and [Ali Abdelaziz] walks in and says to me yeah so they gave the Moicano. They're going to take care of you as far as payment show and win [money] but you're not fighting tomorrow."

However, Dariush shared that his wife’s reaction to the news was far less composed, adding:

"I was super upset but I also was like at least you know, I can take care of my family. But man, my wife couldn't hide it at all. You could see it on my wife's face. When she heard that I thought she was gonna kill [Ali Abdelaziz]."

Check out Beneil Dariush's comments below (2:35):

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Beneil Dariush named potential opponents after the aftermath of UFC 311

Beneil Dariush is eager to return to the octagon after his fallout from the UFC 311 event and he has already identified potential opponents:

“I would like to ideally, if I’m super quick it would be March… I think ideally I would fight in April, someone ranked ahead of me. When I look at the rankings it goes Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, and Michael Chandler. Those are the availabilities…" he said [H/t: Bloody Elbow].

However, Dariush expressed frustration with Poirier, citing previous talks of a fight that never materialized. Despite Poirier’s reluctance to face him, Dariush remains focused on getting a 'good fight' to make his return to the cage.