Beneil Dariush has witnessed a dip in his MMA record with two back-to-back defeats. The fact that both losses came via KOs sent the lightweight contender spiraling down. Despite winning against fighters like Tony Ferguson and Mateusz Gamrot, ‘Benny’ seemed ready to give up and walk away following his fated match against Renato Moicano at UFC 311. Needless to say, it wasn’t something the fighting community appreciated. 

In a conversation with MMA Junkie, Dariush said, “I don’t know exactly when I’m gonna retire. It’s one of those things where I’m gonna have to be able to pinpoint to, ‘Hey, I’m 36. I’m done. Or I’m 37. I’m done.’” Instead, he placed the choice to rest on two things: 

Whether he had the desire and whether he could continue.

He continued, “Currently, I feel like I have the desire, and I still feel like I have the ability. I don’t feel like I’m lacking, and I do believe I’ve gotten way better over the year.” 

But all the 35-year-old lightweight needed now was to show the world how much he has improved in the past year. Well, Beneil Dariush claimed if he could get on to the octagon and prove himself, he’d continue to fight. Else, the only option was to retire. He continued, “If I can’t do that, there’s obviously something missing, and you only get so many chances to fix it. It might be time to consider, you know, walking away from this. I have nothing against guys who fight for a long time.”

He continued, “I have a lot of respect for these guys, but my desire was always to be champion. If I don’t have the ability to be a champion, I’m gonna consider walking away from the sport. Not consider, but I would more than likely walk away from the sport.”

This wasn’t the first time retirement talks arose for Beneil Dariush. Following his last KO loss against Arman Tsarukyan, netizens seemed to believe the Iranian-American would soon retire. However, his team assured the fans that he’d focus on his health instead. Dariush’s words gave rise to chaos in the fighting world. Soon, MMA Junkie shared the footage of the interview on Instagram.

Undoubtedly, the MMA fans jumped down to the comments section to express their disappointment. Let’s see what the MMA fraternity had to say.

Beneil Dariush disappoints the MMA world with retirement talks long before fighting Renato Moicano at UFC 311

The fight fans weren’t delighted with Beneil Dariush’s mindset in the interview. Oftentimes, mixed martial arts is linked with fighters striving to better themselves and fight against all odds. Of course, giving up isn’t something that fans like. One fan wrote, “Might as well retire already if you going into fights with that mindset.”

Another fan agreed with Dariush about his decision to retire. The comment read, “Bet the house on Moicano… sorry Beneil, I feel like it’s time to retire.” The bets against Dariush went on as a fan wrote, “Hate it when guys do this before the fight. House on renato.”

Meanwhile, one fan pointed out the lightweight contender was never completely into it. The fan wrote, “Dude never got started. Never seemed fully invested.” But it was for the better. With the lightweight division filled with powerful contenders, it would certainly be strenuous for Beneil Dariush to climb up. Reflecting on this, a fan wrote, “Probably for the better, you don’t want to be canon fodder for the new guys.” 

Some fans tried to motivate ‘Benny’. A comment read, “Moicano and Dariush have the same age. Don’t give up, man. You need not to afford to lose.” However, one fan noticed the trend and pointed out Dariush’s possible inclination to earn more money. The fan commented, “Talking about retirement before fight bet the house on Renato HE WANTS MONEY!!!”

Hence, with the Iranian-American fighter already giving up, the support shifted toward Moicano. One fan wrote, “Renato gonna smash him with all due respect.” Another fan commented, “Moicano is going to eat this guy alive.”

What are your thoughts on ‘Benny’s decision to walk away from the MMA world? What would you have done had you been in Dariush’s shoes? Drop down to the comments below and let us know what you think.