UFC 311 was nearly derailed when Arman Tsarukyan revealed he couldn’t face Islam Makhachev owing to a back injury. Fortunately, Dana White and his team quickly stepped in, bringing #10 lightweight Renato Moicano on board as a replacement for the Armenian. The reigning champ didn’t miss a beat, expressing his readiness to defend his title for the fourth time. “Smash my opponent, that’s it. No matter who stands in front of me. Let’s go,” he declared confidently.

While the fans are excited about the new main event, the Brazilian’s original opponent Beneil Dariush has been pulled from the card and will have to watch from afar. Dariush went through a complete camp but somehow ended up as the odd man out. So what does he want from the UFC next? Let us take a look at what he had to say.

Beneil Dariush wants the UFC to give him high-ranked opponents after UFC 311 fallout

Just a day before the first PPV event of 2025, Arman Tsarukyan pulled out of his title fight, citing a back injury. The timing couldn’t have been worse, especially since ‘Ahalkalakets’ had complied with the media obligations and was looking completely fine. In a last-minute shuffle, the UFC brought in Renato Moicano to face the lightweight champion instead. Suddenly, Beneil Dariush found himself sidelined, going from “ready to fight” to an unfortunate bystander in the UFC’s matchmaking chaos.

This debacle is a serious hit for the #9 ranked 155fer. After suffering back-to-back losses to Charles Oliveira and, ironically, Arman Tsarukyan, UFC 311 was meant to be his shot at redemption. Instead, ‘Benny’ is now forced to sit out of his comeback fight. Moreover, Dariush is ranked #9, while Moicano sits at #10, so why wasn’t he the one to be promoted to the main event?

The reasoning? Well, Moicano is riding a four-fight win streak, highlighted by an impressive victory over Benoit Saint-Denis. But was it necessary to leave Dariush out entirely? He has spent years, earning his spot and is far from being just a prelim filler. However, Dariush is completely fine with the UFC’s current plans but wants the promotion to set him up with some high-ranked opponents.

While speaking to ‘The Schmo’ he kept his demands and said, “Ideally if I am super quick it would be March. Like if I can get you know get right back on the horse I would do March. But I think ideally I would fight in April and you know somebody ranked ahead of me. And when I look at the rankings it goes Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, and Michael Chandler those are the availabilities. Mateusz Gamrot is there too but we have already fought and I would prefer to fight somebody new.”  

Renato Moicano is ready to dethrone Islam Makhachev at UFC 311

With less than 24 hours to prepare, Renato Moicano stepped up to face the reigning lightweight champ and #1 pound-for-pound fighter. The announcement shook the MMA world, and the excitement only grew at the ceremonial weigh-ins. The energy was palpable as the two fighters came face-to-face for the first time, setting the stage for an intense showdown. And when Joe Rogan placed the microphone in front of the Brazilian, he didn’t waste any time in sending a message to the Dagestani champion.

Moicano said, “I don’t give a f–k, I cannot afford to fuc–g lose and that’s true. Doesn’t matter if it’s the champion or not. Tomorrow, I’m winning.” Even Makhachev is up for the challenge and showed the calm confidence that has become his trademark. He also took the time to address the fans present at the venue and made it clear he was fighting for them.

Speaking to Rogan, Makhachev said, “I couldn’t leave these people without a fight. This is all for you guys.” However, he is in no mood to give an inch to the Brazilian and has no plans of changing his fighting style. The champ stated, “No, same. Smash my opponent, that’s it. No matter who is going to be in front of me, let’s go.”

As the Octagon prepares for Renato Moicano’s last-minute challenge, the big question remains: Can Moicano’s fearless mentality shake up the champion’s dominance? Or will Islam Makhachev’s precision be too much to handle? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!