UFC 311 promised us fireworks. Instead, it had delivered chaos at the eleventh hour. The long-awaited rematch between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan? Gone. Tsarukyan pulling out at the last minute is a starter for disappointment, but Beneil Dariush – the guy just doing his job – somehow ended up as the real loser in all this mess.

How does that happen? ‘Benny’ made weight. He was ready. And yet, he finds himself on the sidelines. ‘Money’ Moicano got promoted, Tsarukyan got a doctor’s note, and the old guy, Dariush? Well, he got ghosted by the UFC matchmaking team.

If you were expecting the American to throw a fit, maybe call out Dana White on Instagram, think again. He barely even flinched. “Family and friends, unfortunately, I’m not fighting tomorrow,” Dariush posted, casually breaking the news to fans like he was canceling brunch plans. “I believe God has something better for me, and I will wait faithfully to see how it unfolds.”

But what really went down, and was it fair to leave the veteran sidelined in such a dramatic fashion? Could the UFC have handled the crises differently, or was sacrificing a scapegoat the only way to salvage the main event chaos?

Why did the UFC ditch Beneil Dariush at UFC 311?

Around 24 hours before the first event of 2025, Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from his title fight. The reason? Due to a back injury. That’s bad enough, considering ‘Ahalkalakets’ was just doing press conferences like his spine wasn’t held together with duct tape. In a scramble, the UFC bumped up the Brazilian, Dariush’s scheduled opponent to face the lightweight champ. And just like that, Dariush went from ‘ready to fight’ to ‘third wheel’ in the UFC’s matchmaking drama.

While Dariush is ranked #9 and Moicano is a #10 contender, why wasn’t it the old guy who got bumped? The logic? Moicano was on a four-fight win streak, with a flashy win over Benoit Saint-Denis. Fine, that’s fair. But was it really necessary to ditch Dariush completely? This is the guy who’s been fighting top-tier opponents for years. He’s definitely not some filler on the prelims.

For Dariush, the timing couldn’t have been worse. He’s coming off two brutal losses to Charles Oliveira and (ironically) Arman Tsarukyan. UFC 311 was supposed to be his redemption. Instead, he got benched.

It’s not just disappointing for Dariush, it’s baffling. The UFC could’ve scrambled to find him a new opponent. Dan Hooker has a phone. Dustin Poirier loves a short-notice challenge. But Dariush, one of the division’s most respected veterans, got left holding the bag. Now that he has been left out in the cold, the inevitable question is, what’s next for the Iranian fighter?

What’s Next for Beneil Dariush?

Considering the top contenders of the division, Dustin Poirier, the perennial fan favorite, who is at #4, seems like an obvious choice. Or maybe Dan Hooker? ‘The Hangman’ loves stepping into chaos, and he’d make for an exciting matchup with Dariush.

And then there’s Michael Chandler who is at #7. Imagine the fireworks if Dariush and ‘Iron’ clashed. The two fighters are desperate to bounce back after their losses to Oliveria. That fight doesn’t just sell, it explodes. But maybe these matchups are worthy of more than just a Fight Night slot, or maybe not. Ultimately, it’s up to the UFC boss to decide on it.

But here’s where things get spicy, Mateusz Gamrot, a former Dariush opponent and teammate of Moicano, has already started chirping. Gamrot wasted no time calling out Beneil after hearing the UFC 311 news. “I just got off the plane in Florida and I see this news… @beneildariush give me a few weeks and let’s dance again,” Gamrot tweeted.

In case you forgot, Dariush handed Gamrot a unanimous decision loss at UFC 280 in 2022. A rematch would have all the drama you could want, with Gamrot looking for redemption and Dariush trying to prove the first win wasn’t a fluke. But give the prospective opponents, the question now is, how long is he supposed to wait?

What do you think? Who should Dariush fight next? Poirier, Hooker, Gamrot, or someone else entirely? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!