At UFC 317, Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano will finally stand across the cage from one another. For some, it may just be another lightweight title clash, but for Dariush, it’s much more. The UFC originally scheduled the two to meet earlier this year at UFC 261. However, the matchup fell through at the last minute.

So what exactly happened back in January? And how did a twist of fate land Moicano in a title fight while there was no opponent left for Dariush? Let’s rewind the clock.

Reason behind Dariush vs. Moicano fight cancelation

UFC 311 was set to be a special night for Beneil Dariush. The 36-year-old lightweight planned to face Renato Moicano in a crucial bout in his home state of California. Everything was on track until it wasn’t. The reason?

Just hours before the official weigh-ins, disaster struck. Arman Tsarukyan, who was set to challenge Islam Makhachev in the main event, withdrew due to a back injury. That left the UFC scrambling to find a new challenger for the lightweight crown.

Suddenly, officials pulled Moicano from his fight with Dariush, assigning him to fight Makhachev with less than 24 hours’ notice. The decision left Dariush without a fight, without a replacement, and without the stage he had trained so hard for.

Dariush took to Instagram at the time to confirm the cancellation as he shared, “Family and friends, unfortunately, I’m not fighting tomorrow. Due to changes in the card, I have been left as the odd man out. I appreciate @danawhite and @ufc for giving me an opportunity to fight in my hometown. And also taking care of me even though I’m not fighting.” Showcasing his professionalism, Dariush held no bitterness. He further wrote, “I believe God has something better for me. And I will wait faithfully to see how it unfolds.” Still, fans couldn’t help but wonder, why didn’t Dariush get the shot at Makhachev?

The answer likely lies in the numbers. Dariush had lost two of his previous fights, to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, the man who was originally supposed to take on the Dagestani champion at UFC 311. Moicano, on the other hand, was riding a 4-fight win streak at the time, which may have swayed the UFC and Dana White to call him up to the plate instead.

Yet, even as he lost out on the opportunity to fight in front of a home crowd cheering for him, Beneil Dariush later revealed that the UFC ensured that he didn’t walk away empty-handed after UFC 311!

Beneil Dariush earned well despite not fighting at UFC 311

In an interview with ‘The Schmo’ once the UFC 311 storm had calmed down a bit, Beneil Dariush revealed that before Renato Moicano got called up, he believed he would get a shot at the UFC gold.

According to the No. 9 ranked lightweight, “So I got a text message at around 4 AM, I don’t sleep when I’m cutting weight… I see Ali (Abdelaziz) text me saying ‘Hey, do you think you could make 155lbs?’ and I was like ‘Yeah I can”

Dariush confessed that he started hearing buzz about Arman Tsarukyan facing issues, but he initially thought that, “…if it was Makhachev having issues, they’re not gonna put me with Arman, we’ve fought already, so I assumed it was Arman.” He made weight and began hearing that Tsarukyan was out.

Hope started to build as he revealed that he thought this might be his chance to step up and take a shot at the title. But shortly after rehydrating, his manager delivered the blow, “Ali comes in and is like, ‘Hey listen, man, they’re giving it to Renato.’” Just like that, the dream was dead.

However, the UFC and Dana White weren’t leaving him empty-handed. In fact, he revealed, “It’s excellent, I can’t complain, they’re giving me show and win money. So you know, a lot of people are like, ‘I hope they take care of you.’ They are I appreciate Dana and the UFC”. Now, the fight that was seldom is finally happening at UFC 317. For Beneil Dariush, this isn’t just another matchup. Indeed, it’s a shot at redemption, a chance to prove that he still belongs among the division’s elite.

And for Renato Moicano, it’s an opportunity to silence critics after coming up short in his short-notice title shot. But make no mistake, this isn’t just about rankings anymore. This is unfinished business!