"He's got his kids in the room with him" - Jon Anik questions Beneil Dariush's approach to Charles Oliveira fight at UFC 289

Beneil Dariush's impressive eight-fight win streak came to a crushing end at the hands of Charles Oliveira at UFC 289. The Iranian-American had hoped to defeat the former lightweight champion to finally earn the long-awaited UFC title shot that's eluded him for his entire career.

Unfortunately, a win was not in store for him, as he suffered a first-round TKO instead. In the aftermath of his defeat, Beneil Dariush claimed, as many fighters do after losses, to not have felt like himself during the fight. However, UFC color commentator Jon Anik questioned his approach to the bout.

On an episode of the Anik & Florian Podcast, with a guest appearance by famed MMA coach Ray Longo, Jon Anik expressed his thoughts about Beneil Dariush's decision-making during the fight. He even questioned his decision to have his children present ahead of the most important bout in his entire career:

"Seemingly, his strong fight IQ and his instincts were not there on the night that he most needed them to be there, and it was interesting just seeing the way he approached this fight week and, you know, I think we all do it differently. He's got his kids, like, in the room with him, and I don't know that that unleashes your most primal state. I do think that there was maybe part of this fight week that Beneil Dariush would go back and redo."

UFC 289 was the closest Dariush has ever come to earning a crack at championship gold in the promotion. So it is easy to understand why Jon Anik believes that if he had the ability to do so, the Iranian-American would undoubtedly redo things during the leadup to his bout with Charles Oliveira.

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What's next for Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira?

Beneil Dariush's loss to Charles Oliveira has left him somewhat directionless. He was intent on campaigning for a title shot with a win over 'do Bronx' but a loss after amassing an eight-fight win streak is a bitter pill for anyone to swallow. As a 34-year-old lightweight, age will catch up to him sooner rather than later.

There is no news on who he will face next in a bid to rebuild himself as he is still reeling from his loss to Oliveira. Meanwhile, 'do Bronx' himself has called for a title rematch with Islam Makhachev. He hopes to avenge his previous loss to the Dagestani kingpin and reclaim his throne.