LOS ANGELES – Beneil Dariush knows he’s overlooked.
Maybe it’s the mature appearance, or the fact that he’s been in the promotion’s lightweight rankings for so long. Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6 UFC) isn’t positive, but he has a hunch as he heads into his UFC 311 main card showdown Saturday vs. Renato Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC).
“Gray hairs,” Moicano said through a laugh as he spoke to MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “I look older than the average person – just in general, my age. I feel great right now. I’m just looking forward to the fight. As far as retirement goes, one day you just know you don’t have it. If that’s the case, we’re done.
“… I think I’m a little bit younger than him. I think I’m a couple months younger than him, but yeah – it’s pretty funny. If that’s the case, one old guy is going to get beat up, basically. … I want to beat that old piece of poop up.”
Even the word “poop” isn’t usually one that Dariush directs at opponents ahead of fights. He’s not into trash-talking. This time, it was said out of jest, in response to Moicano’s use of a more harsh expletive earlier that day to describe what he planned to do to Dariush.
In all seriousness, Dariush plans to do to Moicano what Moicano plans to do to him. But there’s also a tremendous amount of respect between the two veterans, even if slang terms for human excrement are being thrown around.
“I’d definitely say a similar feeling,” Dariush said. “I’d say he’s obviously a veteran. He’s got a lot of big fights, a lot of experience, all the tools. But I think what makes him special is his game-planning. Him and his team are able to put together a really good game plan.
“For example, his last fight, you could say Benoit maybe is more athletic, more dangerous and all that stuff. But within 30 seconds of the fight, the timing of that takedown, the way he got that takedown, it completely changed that fight. I think that’s more of a strategy. You have to have the skills don’t get me wrong. But the strategy to be able to pull that off, I think that was the change of direction in the fight.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 311.
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