What Languages Does UFC’s Beneil Dariush Speak?

Beneil Dariush has proven time and time again that he is among the best fighters in the UFC. The 35-year-old is crafty when it comes to his wrestling and backs it up with technically sound striking. He possesses a well-rounded skill set, which proves difficult for fighters to counter. And currently, ‘Benny’ is all set to make a return this weekend against the rising star, Renato Moicano.

Beneil Dariush is an interesting fighter and has been around for almost a decade in the UFC. However, little is known about his personal life and family, presumably due to his reserved and calm demeanor. But did you know that he speaks more than one language? Let’s take a look at that front.

All languages that Beneil Dariush speaks

In an 8-year-old UFC YouTube video, we learn about the life of ‘Benny’. When Beneil Dariush first came to America with his parents, Beniel and his sister did not speak English and spent most of the time playing with their cousins. Dariush, however, picked up English in just six months.

Other than English, Dariush is also well-versed in Farsi, as he is quite in touch with his heritage. He credits that to his close bond with his cousins and relatives. And he has also confirmed that he has a pretty big family.

Now, that we’ve established his language proficiencies and the fact that he has a large family, let’s take a look at how his life was growing up.

About Beneil Dariush’s background and family

Originally from Urmia, Iran, Beneil Dariush is a fighter of Iranian origin. However, his family relocated to the United States when he was about nine years old, leading to citizenship in America. Beneil Dariush currently resides in Yorba Linda, California, with his wife and children. His father, meanwhile, served in the Iranian army as a pilot while there’s not much known about his mother.

Dariush, despite being born in Iran, does not share the Persian ethnicity common among the significant part of the Iranian population. And when it comes to Beneil Dariush’s heritage, it turns out he belongs to Assyrian ethnicity. This is a Semitic group predominantly associated with Christianity, in contrast to the prevailing majority Shia Muslim community in Iran.

Being a devoted Christian himself, Dariush is humble and empathetic and consistently emphasizes his faith in his post-fight interviews. An example of that would be his post-fight interview after his win against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280. Dariush sent the people a powerful message, and many respected his straightforward personality. Despite Iran being a Muslim-majority country, Beneil took his time to spread the Gospel to the people.

People seem to believe that Dariush is at his all-time career low after his two back-to-back losses against Charles Oliveira and current lightweight title contender, Arman Tsarukyan. But that doesn’t take away the fact that Beneil Dariush is one of the top fighters in the 155-pound division and might be set up for redemption at UFC 311. Can he get back in the winning column? Who are you betting on? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.