UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush released a statement following his “hard-fought fight” with Diego Ferreira at last Saturday’s UFC Vegas 18.
Dariush edged out a split decision in a back-and-forth war between two of the most underrated lightweights in the sport. Both Dariush and Ferreira entered the bout in the 10-15 range in the UFC lightweight rankings, but they both showed with this spirited affair that they belong closer to the top-five. In fact, Dariush went on a post-fight rant about why he and Ferreira should have already been matched up against top-ranked opponents, though he later apologized and took those comments back.
The day after his big win over Ferreira — which, by the way, won each man a cool $50,000 for “Fight of the Night” — Dariush took to his social media to release a statement about his performance. Take a look at what he shared on his Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CK_zmkPhDnn/
God is good. Thank you to my team, my family, and all the fans. There is so much to be said about this hard-fought fight, but I’m going to leave it at God is good because it covers it all. #allglorytoGod
Dariush (20-4-1) is now riding a six-fight win streak following this fight with Ferreira, and this is by far the biggest win of them all as Ferreira was formerly ranked at No. 10 heading into this contest. Dariush, meanwhile, was No. 13 and he figures to jump a few spots at least following this latest win. His post-fight comments have also made it abundantly clear that he is done fighting lower-ranked fighters. Now that he’s beaten a top-10 guy in Ferreira, Dariush wants a step up the rankings. If the UFC wants to grant him his wish of a top-five opponent, then Tony Ferguson is one name available. Other potential rivals ranked above Dariush include Paul Felder, Dan Hooker, and Al Iaquinta.
Who do you want to see Beneil Dariush fight next after beating Diego Ferreira?