Issue 128
May 2015
Beneil Dariush has been tipped for superstardom from day one by coach Rafael Cordeiro. Today he looks every inch a future champion
Lightweight prospect Beneil Dariush praised mentor and Kings MMA head coach Rafael Cordeiro for masterminding his UFC 185 ‘Performance of the Night’ stoppage victory over Daron Cruickshank.
The California-raised Syrian extended his pro record to 10-1 scoring a second-round rear-naked choke victory over the former TUF 15 graduate, a win that also bagged him a $50,000 bonus check.
The win was set up by some aggressive kicking from Dariush throughout the opening round as the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt showed flashes of his rapidly improving striking.
Dariush said: “My striking coach Rafael Cordeiro noticed something watching tape before the fight and we made a plan around that. When Cruickshank gets kicked with the left leg, he never answers. Which means you have a free kick at any time.
“I tried it out early on, threw my first kick, and there was no reply. I threw my second kick and, again, no reply. So I knew we had something there. That was the route to open him up.”
Cruickshank, a standout striker with a black belt in taekwondo, grew tired of being kicked around and eventually took the fight to the floor. But for him the bout had already become about survival.
“Master Rafael was happy with my performance in the first round,” adds Dariush, “he was just telling me not to look down so much. He wanted me to stay sharper, and when the fight went to the ground, add more pressure too.”
Midway through the second round Dariush applied the finish Cordeiro was pushing for. “We went to the ground again, I believe I reversed with a switch. And then I ended up on the back. My goal was to keep the pressure on him. He missed weight, so just in case he was feeling it, I made sure of that extra pressure,” he recalls.
“I am really confident with my jiu-jitsu. I thought it would be my advantage in this fight but I didn’t go looking for it. I wanted to set it up up with my striking and that’s what happened. He went for the shot and I was able to reverse it and get the finish.”
Dariush was tipped for greatness when he debuted in the UFC at the beginning of 2014. And while he suffered his first loss in Abu Dhabi to Ramsey Nijem shortly after, he’s now racked up three straight wins since to get his own aspirations back on track.
As chief sparring partner to new lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, and with Master Cordeiro in his corner, it looks like Dariush is learning to thrive despite all the expectation on his shoulders.
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