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MMATorch Interview: UFC 185 victor Beneil Dariush on Daron Cruickshank win, teammate Rafael dos Anjos' title win, and more
Mar 19, 2015 - 11:45:52 AM
MMATorch Interview: UFC 185 victor Beneil Dariush on Daron Cruickshank win, teammate Rafael dos Anjos' title win, and more
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By: Michael Bane, MMATorch Contributor

Beneil Dariush opened a lot of eyes with his dominant victory over Daron Cruickshank at UFC 185. The up-and-coming lightweight took some time to speak to MMATorch about the fight, growing up in Iran, and offers a surprising prediction for an upcoming UFC bout in the interview below:

MICHAEL BANE: Congratulations on your victory at UFC 185. With your submission win over Daron Cruickshank, you've now earned stoppages in eight of your ten victories. Is there anything in particular to which you attribute your high rate of finishing opponents?

BENEIL DARIUSH: I don't feel like I won the fight unless I finish, so it's extremely important for me to finish. Typically I stress out after a fight if I don't get the finish.

BANE: Many expected Cruishank to have an edge in the striking department, but you ended up doing the majority of the damage on the feet with some pinpoint counter-striking. Were you planning on standing with him coming into the fight, or did it happen just because of how the fight played out?

DARIUSH: If you look at my fights in the UFC so far you will see that I'm usually not the one to initiate the grappling, but once it happens I welcome it, and embrace it. The game plan for this fight was the same. The reason why I focus so much on stand up in my fights is because it's the only way I can improve it.

BANE: Your fight at UFC 185 ended up being a catchweight contest at 157 pounds due to Cruickshank missing weight. How frustrating is it when your opponent fails to reach a targeted weight that you yourself made?

DARIUSH: Typically I would be frustrated, but he came off an eye surgery, and he never missed weight before. I let this one slide.

BANE: There's been criticism leveled by some in the media, as well as some fighters, about what fighters earn fighting for the UFC. Do you have a particular opinion on the compensation that is currently being offered?

DARIUSH: In my first fight in the UFC I made more money than all my [previous] fights combined. So at the moment, I'm content.

BANE: Your UFC 185 submission yielded you a “Performance of the Night” bonus for an additional $50,000 on top of your fight purse. For the vast majority of people in the world, this is quite a bit of money. How did it feel to find out that you had won it? Was it something you were anticipating or waiting for after your fight ended?

DARIUSH: I was extremely happy to say the least. I'm a simple man, and taking care of my family is all I care about. I've been working hard on buying a house, and trying to save my money. This bonus is going straight into my savings account.

BANE: A lot of pundits try to classify you as primarily a BJJ fighter. During your UFC 185 fight it became evident that your skill set is continuing to evolve. Is there anything in particular you've done to try to improve your striking and standup?

DARIUSH: I make sure to engage in stand up in every fight, that way I have something to work on when I come back to the gym. I analyze my fights, and focus on the holes in my game to improve.

BANE: You recently indicated you'd like to avenge your lone defeat in a rematch against Ramsey Nijem. Assuming he's not available, is there any other fighter in particular you'd like to see across the Octagon?

DARIUSH: No. I'm not paid to be matchmaker, so if they start paying me extra to do so I'll consider it, but for now I'll stick to fighting.

BANE: Much like Daniel Cormier with Cain Velasquez, you stated that you'd change weight classes before fighting your training partner Rafael dos Anjos for the Lightweight Title. How do you feel about teammates/training partners (such as Jon Jones and Rashad Evans) who forgo that relationship for a shot at a championship?

DARIUSH: I don't know how I feel [about other fighters]. I don't know how close they were or how they operate. I know how I feel, and how my team feels. We're not fighting, and how other teams operate is not my business.

BANE: I imagine you expected dos Anjos to win, but were you surprised by how thoroughly he dominated Anthony Pettis to capture the title?

DARIUSH: Hahaha not at all. I predicted a 2nd round knockout, but that was just as dominating. In the last three years I've put more rounds in with Rafa than anyone else. I knew exactly what he was capable of. He's an absolute animal, and I get stressed out just thinking about Fridays because I know he's going to be standing across me come time to spar.

BANE: A three fight win streak can be hard to achieve in the UFC. Do you think people are starting to take more notice of you as a fighter given your string of victories? What are you focusing on to keep this streak going?

DARIUSH: I think so. I'm getting more interviews post-fight than ever before. I'm back in the gym already working on mistakes, and my overall game.

BANE: There have been a handful of Iranian fighters who have competed in the UFC. How much of your place of birth and your Assyrian descent do you feel compose your identity as an individual and as a fighter? Do you feel that where you came from has affected your development as a fighter in any way?

DARIUSH: Yes. My birthplace and my nationality have a lot to do with my character. Assyrians are generally referred to as warriors in history. Also, in Iran I lived in village called Goetapeh, and besides farming every kid wanted to be the best fighter. I was no different [and] I would get in fights quite often. To be honest, I would get beat up quite a bit, hahaha. I cherish my time in Iran tremendously, and it will always be part of who I am.

BANE: What's the biggest challenge you've faced or obstacle you've had to overcome in becoming a professional MMA fighter?

DARIUSH: Retiring from BJJ to focus solely on MMA.*

BANE: Is there a particular fight in 2015 you're looking forward to seeing?

DARIUSH: Looking forward to seeing Werdum dominate Velasquez.

*Dariush achieved a black belt in Brazilian Jui-jitsu. He placed in or won over 50 jiu-jitsu tournaments from 2007 to 2012 before he retired from it to pursue MMA full-time.

-The preceding interview was conducted via email on 3.18.15. Beneil Dariush is currently an MMA fighter in the UFC's lightweight division. Michael Bane is an attorney and MMA enthusiast working out of Chicago, Illinois.



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