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After a yearlong hiatus, Beneil Dariush is set to make his highly anticipated return at UFC 311 in January, taking on surging lightweight Renato Moicano. The bout marks Dariush’s first fight since his knockout loss to Arman Tsarukyan last December, which came on the heels of another stoppage defeat to Charles Oliveira in June. Concerned about his brain health, the 35-year-old Dariush chose to step away from competition to recover and reassess his career.
During his time off, Dariush openly explored the possibility of moving up to welterweight. However, he has decided to remain in the lightweight division, with his return now official. The UFC announced the matchup against Renato Moicano on social media, adding another exciting contest to the already stacked UFC 311 lineup.
Renato Moicano, also 35, enters the fight riding a wave of momentum. Fresh off a spectacular second-round knockout victory over Benoit Saint-Denis in September, Moicano has been tearing up, amassing a four-fight win streak. The Brazilian has also secured impressive wins over top-tier opponents such as Jalin Turner and Drew Dober. Initially, Moicano expressed interest in facing Paddy Pimblett following his latest victory, but the UFC opted for the high-stakes showdown with Dariush instead.
UFC 311 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting cards of the year. Headlining the event is a rematch for the UFC lightweight championship between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan. In contrast, the co-main event features bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili defending his title against Umar Nurmagomedov. The card also includes marquee matchups like Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill and Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder.
With the addition of Dariush vs. Moicano, the event promises fireworks. Fans are eager to see if Dariush can rebound after his layoff or if Moicano will continue his dominant run in the lightweight division.
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