Did Beneil Dariush Retire? Lightweight Veteran’s Special Moment at UFC HoF Induction Ceremony Raises Questions

Beneil Dariush’s appearance at the recent UFC Hall of Fame ceremony caused panic among MMA fans! The no.7 ranked lightweight made his last appearance inside the Octagon against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC on ESPN 52 in December 2023 where he suffered a brutal first-round knockout. This was Dariush’s second loss via finish as earlier in the year, he had lost to Charles Oliveira via TKO in the first round of their fight at UFC 289.

In an interview on the ‘Trocacao Franca’ podcast, his coach Rafael Cordeiro recently revealed that he had asked Dariush to take some time off due to concerns regarding head trauma. He stated, “He had five situations during the year where his head was hurt. He’s a young kid, and it was a request I made for him to take some time.” Due to the back-to-back losses in his last fights, some sections of the MMA fandom have also raised calls for Dariush to retire from the sport. However, according to Cordeiro, “That’s absurd. It’s disrespectful with his story, but since we can’t listen to noise or things we can’t control, we’ll focus on his health.”

Dariush was present at the Hall of Fame ceremony as he was chosen to receive the ‘Forrest Griffin Community Award’, as a recognition of his various charitable endeavors. The lightweight veteran has been partnered with the ‘Shlama Foundation’ since 2018 and it aims to provide housing, economic and educational support to the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac people.

He has also utilized his post-fight bonuses to provide funding for orphanages in Haiti, along with his tireless dedication to teaching self-defense classes at ‘King’s MMA’ gym. Nevertheless, the fans were left questioning if Dariush had indeed given in to the calls for his retirement with his appearance at the ceremony, and here’s a look at what the community had to say!

Fans left wondering about Beneil Dariush’s UFC career with his 2024 Hall of Fame appearance  

Many fans weren’t aware that Beneil Dariush was chosen to receive the ‘Forrest Griffin Community’ award as they they assumed his appearance at the event meant he was getting inducted into the Hall of Fame

Why was Beneil inducted into the Hall of Fame?

The same sentiment was echoed by another fan who was also unaware of Dariush’s charitable ventures but UFC CEO Dana White had proclaimed, “Beneil does an incredible job giving back to his community. Beneil sets a perfect example of how athletes should use their platforms to raise awareness for the charitable causes they care about the most while helping those who are less fortunate. It’s an honor to present him with this award”

Tf beneil doing there

Yet again, fans were left questioning if Dariush had retired from the sport

Wait Dariush retired?

Some wanted to know why an active fighter is being honored at the Hall of Fame ceremony but in 2021, Dustin Poirier received the first-ever ‘Forest Griffin Community Award’ for his work with his charity, ‘The Good Fight Foundation’ and other charitable endeavors in his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana 

Why is daruish in here he’s an active fighter

Others humorously brought up the fact that Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen, also present at the ceremony, appeared to be keeping their distance from one another and made a reference to their now-famous altercation from their appearance on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3

Chael really not letting Wanderlei get close

The on-stage line-up featuring names like Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, Wanderlei Silva, Chael Sonnen, Frankie Edgar, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and Dariush also drew amazed reactions from the fans

What a line up

While others were left emotional at the history and legacy on display

Am not crying just got something in my eye

In conclusion, it seems that many fans were unaware of the reason behind Beneil Dariush’s Hall of Fame ceremony appearance and speculated about his retirement. But his presence at the event was a reminder of his multifaceted contributions to the sport and his community, highlighting why he has found himself as a fan favorite with his story and dedication making him a role model both inside and outside the Octagon. Do you think Beneil Dariush will return to action soon? What would be the perfect matchup for his return in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below!