Diego Ferreira

UFC: Beneil Dariush feels disrespected by Charles Oliveira

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This weekend at UFC Vegas 18, Beneil Dariush (19-4-1) and Diego Ferreira (17-2) will battle it out in a rematch from 2014. That night, Dariush became the first man to defeat Ferreira in his professional career. The only other man do beat him is Dustin Poirier.

Dariush will enter the contest having won five fights in a row. He’s currently ranked thirteenth in the UFC‘s lightweight division while Ferreira is coming in at tenth. Should Dariush pickup the win, he will definitely receive another top ten opponent in his next fight.

One of the top ten contenders that Dariush wants to fight is Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). Oliveira is on an eight-fight win streak and he’s currently ranked third in the UFC’s lightweight division. Oliveira is coming off of a big win against Tony Ferguson in December.

However, Ferguson wasn’t the original opponent for Oliveira in late 2020. Originally, Oliveira was supposed to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 254. However, Makhachev had to pull out of the fight and that is where Dariush came into the picture.

The UFC ended up booking Oliveira – Dariush for October. Oliveira ended up pulling out of the fight. Once that happened, Dariush was left in limbo waiting for the Oliveira fight to come back together. That is where the frustration stems from in Dariush.

Could Dariush get back to Oliveira in the UFC?

Dariush had an interview with ESPN where he discussed his frustrations. He said, “One thing that really bothered me is that I was hearing he had some problems at home. I said, ‘I get it, I’ll wait, no problem.’ But at the same time, on his social media, this guy is calling out Tony Ferguson.”

We of course know that Oliveira ended up getting the fight at UFC 256 against Ferguson while Dariush remained on the sidelines. Dariush said he felt disrespected by the entire situation.

You have to feel for Dariush in this situation. The UFC called him and asked him to step up to take the Oliveira fight. Of course, he did then he was held out because of it while Oliveira got a massive fight with Tony Ferguson. Dariush has his chance now to make a big statement on Saturday night.

2021 UFC Breakthrough Candidates

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UFC, Dana White

This past year, the UFC has seen a few fighters come out of no where and become household names. The two names that stick out the most are Kevin Holland (21-5) and Khamzat Chimaev (9-0).

Holland was already with the UFC when the year got started. However, Holland was just 3-2 in his first five fights. He came into 2020 coming off of a submission loss to Brendan Allen, but he showed in 2020 how special he could be.

Holland went a perfect 5-0 in 2020 with four finishes including one over Jacare Souza at UFC 256. Kevin Holland was a very popular pick for fighter of the year and he was our breakout fighter of the year.

Nobody really knew who Khamzat Chimaev was when 2020 started. There was some hype surrounding him in the Middle East, but to the mainstream public, nobody really knew who he was.

Chimaev made his UFC debut on Fight Island in July. He ended up fighting twice in ten days scoring two finishes in extremely dominant fashion. Chimaev followed those performances up with a knockout over Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds in September.

Khamzat Chimaev has gone from unknown to a superstar in just a few months. He was supposed to face Leon Edwards in January, but that fight has been pushed back due to Chimaev’s recovery since coming down with COVID-19.

2021 UFC Breakthrough Prospects

The mixed martial arts world and even the mainstream public knows Khamzat Chimaev and Kevin Holland after 2020. So who are some candidates for breakthrough fighters in the UFC as we enter 2021?

One of the guys I have my eyes on is bantamweight, Jack Shore (13-0). The bantamweight from Wales has fought twice in the UFC and he’s scored two submissions wins. Out of his 13 professional wins, only one has gone to the scorecards.

He last fought back in July on Fight Island. That night, Shore took on Aaron Phillips and he used his superior grappling to dominate the fight. Shore has all the makings for a contender who can breakthrough for the UFC in 2021.

The next guy I have my eyes on is another fighter from Wales. This one is the two-division Cage Warriors champion, Mason Jones (10-0). Jones is scheduled to make his UFC debut on January 20th against Mike Davis (8-2).

There is a lot of hype surrounding Mason Jones. The last two-division Cage Warriors champion to breakthrough in UFC is Conor McGregor. Thus, you can see why a lot of people are interested in this young man.

Jones is just 25 years old, but he is incredibly talented. The UFC is not giving him a layup in his first fight however. Mike Davis is a very tough opponent who’s only two losses have come to Gilbert Burns and Sodiq Yusuff.

Ranked Fighters to Watch

While Jones and Shore are my two prospects that I’m watching, there are a couple of more established fighters I have my eyes on as we enter 2021. One of those fighters being Jimmy Crute (12-1).

The Australian light heavyweight is currently ranked 12th in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. He has dynamite in his hands and he’s very good on the ground. He bounced back from his first loss in 2019 to score two first round finishes in 2020.

Crute is just 24 years old and looks incredibly gifted. I would not be shocked to see Crute inching towards the top five once 2021 is over. The other fighter I have my eyes on is Diego Ferreira (17-2).

Okay, I’ll admit it, Ferreira is 35 years old and he’s been with the UFC for a long time. He doesn’t really fit in with the other three fighters I’ve listed so far. However, I have him on this list for a reason.

Ferreira is a guy that seems to get lost when folks talk about the lightweight division. The most exciting division in the sport is incredibly stacked. It’s so stacked that people forget that Ferreira is on a six-fight winning streak in the UFC.

He last fought in January and submitted Anthony Pettis in the second round. Ferreira is taking on Beneil Dariush (19-4-1) in February where he will look to avenge his first career loss. Outside of Dariush, the only man to defeat Ferreira inside the octagon is Dustin Poirier.

These are four fighters that I truly believe can establish themselves in the UFC this year. When I say establish, I mean become household names to not just the MMA world, but the general public. Keep your eyes on these fighters in 2021.

UFC books Beneil Dariush – Diego Ferreira 2

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The UFC has booked another entertaining fight for their fight card on Super Bowl weekend. First reported by ESPN, lightweights Beneil Dariush (19-4-1) and Diego Ferreira (17-2) will go head-to-head.

This fight is actually a rematch from 2014. Their first fight took place back at UFC 179 and Dariush was able to pickup the unanimous decision victory. That was the first career loss for Diego Ferreira.

After that loss to Dariush, Ferreira would also lose his next fight which came against former UFC interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier. However, since that Poirier fight, nobody has defeated Ferreira inside the octagon.

The Brazilian lightweight has strung together six consecutive wins including wins including one over Anthony Pettis. This six-fight winning streak has found Ferreira ranked ninth in the lightweight division.

This is a big fight for Ferreira as he can avenge his first career loss and continue his march up the division’s rankings. Both men will be seeking an opponent near the UFC‘s top five if they are able to win on Super Bowl weekend.

UFC lightweight battle

Dariush will bring his own UFC winning streak to the octagon on February 6th. He has been able to win five straight fights, but the most impressive thing is that he will carry a four fight finishing streak into the cage.

Dariush did miss weight in his last fight against Scott Holtzman, but he made up for it in the eyes of the promotion. He had a brilliant spinning backfist knockout near the end of the first round back in August.

Dariush hit a little speedbump in his career a few years ago when he went 0-2-1 in three fights against some good competition. However, he’s really turned it around and he’s looked better than ever over the last couple of years.

As mentioned, this rematch is a big fight for the UFC‘s lightweight division. Whoever wins will be in a really good position in arguably the most exciting and dynamic division in the sport.

Paul Felder not going anywhere after UFC Vegas 14

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Throughout 2020, fight fans didn’t know if they’d see Paul Felder in the UFC outside of the commentator’s booth. Back in February after he lost to Dan Hooker, Felder hinted that he would probably retire from the sport.

However, Felder never fully closed the door. Less than a week before UFC Vegas 14, one of the headliners in the lightweight division fell out. The UFC was forced to scramble for a last minute opponent for Rafael Dos Anjos.

RDA was making his lightweight return after spending a few years in the welterweight division. The UFC wanted a ranked opponent for his return and Felder was on tap to commentate the fights.

The UFC called upon Felder, and the Irish Dragon took the fight on five days notice. He didn’t ask for a catchweight and he also said he would be willing to go the full 25 minutes despite not having any camp.

The lack of MMA training hurt Felder in the grappling during the fight. RDA’s takedowns and ground control ended up giving him the win, but Felder was incredibly impressive. He looked very sharp and fast on his feet.

Felder took a bunch of good shots of his own, but he busted RDA up on the feet. He outstruck the former UFC champion despite having no camp. After the fight, Felder addressed the fans letting them know that he wasn’t going anywhere.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 14?

“I have not stepped foot into an MMA gym in four months. But I can tell you guys with certainty, I’m not going anywhere right now. I lost my passion for this sport pretty bad, but I’m not done,” Felder told Michael Bisping in his post-fight interview.

Felder saved the day for the UFC and it looks like he found his passion for the sport all in one evening. That is great news for the promotion as Felder is one of the more exciting fighters in the lightweight division.

So the big question is, what’s next for Paul Felder? I think the UFC doesn’t have to look too far around the rankings to find some good potential matchups. I think the promotion could book him against either Diego Ferreira or Al Iaquinta.

Personally, I lean a little towards booking him against Al Iaquinta. That would be a very fun matchup for the fans and both men are coming off of back-to-back losses. However, both are still inside the UFC‘s top ten at lightweight.

Time will tell what the promotion does next with Felder, but it’s nice to know that we will be seeing the Irish Dragon back inside the octagon.