After the fight, Joe Rogan immediately asked the champion who he felt the next challenger should be. Topuria strongly hinted at both Arman Tsarukyan and Paddy Pimblett with some choice words.

When Rogan noticeably brushed past the mention of Tsarukyan, he shifted full steam ahead into the Paddy conversation—going as far as calling Pimblett into the cage for a faceoff and a heated exchange. All signs now point to “The Baddy” challenging for the lightweight title next.

However, this road to the title seems too accelerated—and there’s a lightweight litmus test Pimblett needs to pass before securing a shot: Justin Gaethje.

Paddy’s UFC Journey

Pimblett is undoubtedly the UFC’s biggest rising star. His charisma echoes that of Conor McGregor, helping propel him into the spotlight. Like McGregor, he faces criticism for being protected with favorable matchups as the promotion grooms its next megastar—not to mention the controversial Jared Gordon fight, which still lives rent-free in fans’ minds.

That said, his recent performance against Michael Chandler was undeniably impressive. He appeared more mature—physically and mentally—raising his stock tremendously. Yet, the fight also raised questions about whether Chandler is still the division’s gatekeeper, especially with someone like Justin Gaethje still battling the best at lightweight.

Why Not Justin?

With a 3–2 record in his last five fights against top-ranked opponents, Gaethje is still very much in the contender conversation. While two failed title shots might hurt his chances for another opportunity, a high-stakes fight against Paddy Pimblett makes sense for both men.

For “The Highlight,” it’s a chance for career and financial resurgence. For Pimblett, it’s the battle test he needs to quiet the naysayers.

That’s exactly why the UFC might be bypassing Gaethje. They understand Justin could derail Paddy’s momentum—possibly exposing whether Pimblett can survive a barn burner. With the promotion trying to convince the public that a new generation of stars is here, a Paddy loss could be a major setback.

Gaethje, the former interim and BMF champ, appears frustrated with the UFC’s current plans—and rightfully so. Why is Gaethje fighting for the belt suddenly such a bad idea? Are we really going to pretend fans wouldn’t be thrilled by a fistfight between him and Ilia Topuria?

Paddy Pimblett is being positioned for a lightweight title shot. His momentum and brewing feud with Topuria provide a solid marketing narrative for the UFC. But it’s frustrating for fighters—and loyal fans—when rising stars skip the line over proven names. Especially when those names, like Justin Gaethje, are still performing at an elite level.

Still, Ilia vs. Paddy is exciting. The UFC could easily close the year with that fight in blockbuster fashion—just like McGregor vs. Aldo in 2015.

It hasn’t even been discussed yet… but what happens if Paddy wins?

The post Why Paddy Pimblett Skipped a Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ilia Topuria

After knocking out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in 2024, Ilia Topuria was on something of a villain arc, seeing as he had just defeated two fan-favourites in a row. Well, that arc didn’t stop on Saturday as “El Matador” knocked out yet another fan-favourite in brutal fashion when he stopped Charles Oliveira in the very first round. It was another crowning achievement for the 28-year-old who has already accomplished so much in this sport.

With Islam Makhachev now moving up to welterweight, we unfortunately have to put that fight on the backburner. There are three names that are clearly ahead of the pack at 155 when it comes to contendership. There’s Justin Gaethje, who has been saying he will retire if he’s not offered a title shot next. There’s Arman Tsarukyan, who I personally believe is the rightful number one contender. However, hearing how Dana White talks about Arman, I doubt they will actually end up giving it to him. Then there’s Paddy Pimblett. Mostly thanks to a beef years in the making, “The Baddy” got to go face off with the Topuria inside the cage.

We can argue whether or not a win over Michael Chandler in 2025 is enough to warrant a title shot, but no one can dispute the fact that Topuria vs Pimblett is the biggest fight of all three of those options. As the promotion is in the middle of the last year of its TV deal, and with Jon Jones and Conor McGregor most likely not coming back, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the UFC opt for the biggest possible matchup. The fans are craving events with ‘big fight feel’ and Paddy the Baddy versus so-called “Hand Sanitizer Boy” would certainly scratch that itch.

Topuria’s next fight: Paddy Pimblett

Alexandre Pantoja

“The Cannibal” defended his belt for the fourth time with a slick third-round submission of Kai Kara-France and proved once more why he’s a top 5 pound-for-pound fighter. Pantoja had already beaten the Kiwi when the two met on The Ultimate Fighter in an exhibition bout, but this time, it will show up on his record.

During fight week, Pantoja expressed his clear lack of interest in moving up to bantamweight. His sights are on his own division, and he knows who’s waiting for him as he got to face-off inside the cage with his next challenger, 23-year-old Joshua Van.

Pantoja’s next fight: Joshua Van

Joshua Van

We knew Van was very good, but some wondered if his insane levels of activity would catch up with him. He pushed those worries to the limit this time around, taking on the number one ranked Brandon Royval at UFC 317 on a three-week turnaround. These are levels of activity that rival even Kevin Holland, and the 23-year-old managed to pull off the victory, knocking down Royval late in the 3^rd round, in a wild back-and-forth, winner-take-all round.

The youngster then got front row seats for the co-main event and got to size up his division’s champion in the cage. Time will tell if Van is ready to dethrone the champion 12 years his elder, but one thing is for sure: win or lose, he will make it entertaining.

Van’s next fight: Alexandre Pantoja

Beneil Dariush

After a nearly 19-month layoff, the veteran Dariush finally came back to fight Renato Moicano in a fight that was initially booked for January. After a scare in round one, Dariush rallied back to win the next two rounds and win a unanimous decision.

After his win last week, I penciled Rafael Fiziev to face the winner of this fight, and my opinion hasn’t changed. Dariush and Fiziev are two fighters that are back in the win column after long stretches without a win. It’s a fight that can fit nicely on any Pay-Per-View and could even headline a Fight Night card.

Dariush’s next fight: Rafael Fiziev

Payton Talbott

The 26-year-old Talbott bounced back nicely against a very highly touted prospect in Felipe Lima at UFC 317. Talbott showed improved grappling defense and used his polished striking to win two of the three closely contested rounds. A nice step to restore the hype he had just a year ago when he got a 19-second KO on last year’s International Fight Week card.

Talbott lost his 0 back in January when he surrendered eight takedowns to wily veteran Raoni Barcelos. The Brazilian followed that win with another unanimous decision over former champion Cody Garbrandt just two weeks ago. I think Talbott should face Garbrandt next. It would be a fun striking battle and it’s a matchup that would garner enough attention to put Talbott back on the map should he earn a nice victory.

Talbott’s next fight: Cody Garbrandt

The post What’s Next: UFC 317 Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

Charles Oliveira

Illia Topuria took just one round to KO Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title in the main event of UFC 317 on Saturday. Charles has now gone 3-3 in his last six fights since losing the belt in March of 2022 (as a result of missing weight ahead of his victory over Justin Gaethje). Saturday was a humbling showing for Charles as it was the first time UFC fans have seen him flatlined in 15 years and 35 fights with the promotion. Charles turns 36 later this year and could face whispers from the fan base of considering retirement.

However, Oliveira’s next matchup has a lot to do with what direction UFC brass want to go in as well as a couple of fight outcomes. Oliveira would be an excellent litmus test for a fighter like Paddy Pimblett who is currently ranked at #8 in the lightweight division. Many have debated whether Paddy has truly faced elite level competition on his ascent thru the rankings. Oliveira would offer just that.

However, a matchup against a former featherweight like Max Holloway would also draw a lot of fans. And both fighters are now at similar stages of their careers with their shared fight outcomes against Illia. Max is currently ranked at #4 in the lightweight division. Holloway is scheduled to fight Dustin Poirier for the BMF belt on July 19th (Poirier has already announced that it’ll be his retirement fight). Great fights either way all depends on Oliveira’s recovery timeline amongst other moving parts.

Oliveira’s next fight: Max Holloway or Paddy Pimblett 

Kai Kara-France

Kai Kara-France looked completely outgunned and overmatched on his way to a third-round submission defeat at the hands of the UFC flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja, in the UFC 317 co-headliner. Kara-France has now actually lost three of his last four fights, beginning with an unsuccessful title shot against Brandon Moreno in July of 2022. Kara-France was ranked at #4 headed into this bout.

Kai has a couple of different directions he can go in here based on timing. Manel Kape, who is ranked at #6, would be an excellent opponent but he is currently recovering from injury. A rematch with Brandon Royval could also make sense. Kara-France lost to Royval in 2020 via second round submission. Royval also lost on Saturday. But the fight that would make the most sense would be for Kai to face the winner of Asu Almabayev vs Ramazan Temirov. That fight goes down on July 26. Not too bad in terms of timing-but Asu is ranked at #8 while Ramazan Temirov is ranked at #13.

Almabayev was 4-0 in the UFC until he was stopped, albeit controversially, by Manel Kape in the third round of their fight back in March. Temirov had his first fight in the UFC in just October of last year, stopping CJ Vegara in the first round. Temirov was last in the cage back in March when he defeated Charles Johnson. Putting Kai against the winner of this bout would insert some fresh faces with some impressive records into the mix of the elite ranks. Could make for an interesting fight night main event as well.

Kara-France’s next fight: Asu Almabayev vs Ramazan Temirov winner or Manel Kape

Brandon Royval

Brandon Royval lost an epic unanimous decision against short notice replacement, Joshua Van, on Saturday. Royval was booked  to take on Manel Kape but that fight was called off after Kape suffered a foot injury. That fight was originally supposed to take place back in March, but Royval had to withdraw from that bout with an injury of his own. Royval entered the fight ranked at #1 while Van was ranked at #12. Huge upset.

This bout scored a Fight of the Night bonus and Royval also received his win bonus for his phenomenal effort. Royval should have his fight with Kape rebooked for his next outing. Thats what makes the most sense especially with the fight outcome Saturday (and Van likely fighting for the belt). If that fight doesn’t materialize then potentially giving Royval, the winner of #14 Kai Asakura vs #10 Tim Elliot could be a good fight too. But that’s also another risky fight for Brandon after he just took one on Saturday. Ideal world, Kape is healed up by years end and hopefully they can get something in by 2026.

Royval’s next fight: Manel Kape or Tim Elliot vs. Kai Asakura winner

Renato Moicano

Renato Moicano lost a competitive unanimous decision to Beneil Dariush on the main card of UFC 317 on Saturday. The two were originally supposed to fight back in January before Renato was rebooked (saving the UFC 311 main event opposite Islam Makhachev). Moicano has now lost two fights in a row since ripping off his four-fight win streak featuring three finishes from 2022-2024. Dariush entered the fight ranked at #9 while Moicano was ranked at #11.

Renato should take on Joel Alvarez in his next fight. Joel is 7-2 with the UFC since being signed in 2019 and is ranked at #15. Alvarez is on a three-fight win streak stopping Marc Diakiese, Elves Brener and most recently, Drakkar Klose, back in December. Joel was slated to take on Benoit Saint-Denis on May 10 but withdrew from that bout. BSD fought Renato in September of last year losing via doctor’s stoppage. This fight would be a great matchup between two pretty rangy strikers and would be a fun scrap for fans. Could easily be on a PPV card main card as well. Winner propels themselves into the top 10 of the lightweight division with an impressive finish.

Moicano’s next fight: Joel Alvarez

Felipe Lima

Felipe Lima was outfought by Payton Talbott on the way to a unanimous decision defeat to open up the main card of UFC 317 on Saturday. It was Lima’s first time competing at bantamweight within the UFC as he was 2-0 as a featherweight under the promotional banner.

A good opponent for Lima would be a fighter like John Castaneda. The 2017 Contender Series alum is 4-4 with the UFC but has consistently had trouble making 135lbs. He’s a tough scrappy fighter that’s always in high-action competitive bouts. Castaneda last fought back in April when he dropped a split decision to Chris Gutierrez. That’d be a high talent level ‘under-the-radar’ type of fight that a lot of hardcore fans would tune in for.  A backup option for Lima would be the Da’Mon Blackshear vs Davey Grant fight winner. That fight is scheduled for July 26. Both fighters are grappling heavy and with an impressive win out of either man it could make sense for a date with Lima. However, the optimal matchup is definitely Castaneda.

Lima’s next fight: John Castaneda or Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Davey Grant winner

The post What’s Next: UFC 317 Losers appeared first on Cageside Press.

“It was a little bit more than I expected. Usually when I slam people like that they turn into their belly trying to get up. He throwing hammer fists this way, that way, left, right,” Smith told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“They’re connecting giving me eggs on my eyes. Definitely had something that I’ve never seen before. I’m proud of myself for overcoming and performing the way that I did.”

Smith (11-0) realized he was in a dog fight when Price hit him with an elbow that cut him wide open. When that happened Smith went to a different place.

“I’m not sure if the first elbow he threw is what had me leaking or with me slamming him our faces collided. Everything happened so fast I just know I seen blood and I knew it was mine. Then that shark instinct kicked in and I was like WOO let’s get it baby! Let’s show the world, let’s get this bonus hopefully,” he said.

UFC 317 all wrapped up with a victory Smith looks ahead to the rest of his year. Just not too far ahead.

“I want to go home and hug my daughter and my son. Recover to the point where I feel good and then we’ll talk,” he said.

“But right now I’m just going to live this moment.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Jacobe Smith above.

The post Jacobe Smith, “Shark instinct kicked in” When He Saw Blood appeared first on Cageside Press.

Rather, it was his participation in the “world’s highest fight,” a 5,000 meter high MMA bout that ended with a parachute jump.

The spectacle took place earlier this year, with the balloon circling Boituva, Brazil, known as the world capital of skydiving.

“I just did that because I’m a skydiver for more than five years. I love some adrenaline in my life,” Diniz (9-1), a former kickboxer, recalled during the UFC 317 post-fight press conference, with Cageside Press on hand. A friend brought Diniz the idea of fighting in a hot air balloon, and the skydive afterwards. “I can celebrate two of the biggest things that I love in my life, fighting and skydiving, jumping. I love that we did that.”

Believe it or not, Diniz has plans to top that spectacle. “I promise, it’ll be ten times more exciting than the last one,” he finished with a laugh. To be fair, the hot air balloon fight was more of a light spar, for obvious reasons.

Well this is something you don't see everyday 🤯

Heavyweight Jhonata Diniz decided to put the Octagon in the air for the highest altitude fight ever! pic.twitter.com/nnrmt3I1pP

— UFC (@ufc) April 19, 2025

Diniz is now hoping to stay busy in 2025. “I think in just one week, I’ll be ready enough to fight again,” he exclaimed early in his press conference appearance. In kickboxing, “it was normal to make three, four, five fights in a year,” he later added. “I don’t care, it doesn’t matter against who or when I will fight, I just want to make a minimum one [more] fight in this year yet. I’m ready to fight against everybody, I don’t care about who or when.”

Ultimately, he added, he’s looking to stay “more busy than we can do.”

As for the fight with Hines, Diniz was happy with his cardio, and admitted to playing it safe in the third round. “I’m not so tired in the last round, but I have to keep [it] a safe fight, because I already won the first and second round. I talked with my trainers and my coach, [they said] just keep fighting, for the victory.”

“It’s not my fight style, I hate to fight like that, but they already changed my opponents two and a half weeks from the preparation up to [the fight]. I really had to make a good, safe fight for this victory.”

Watch the full UFC 317 post-fight press conference with Jhonata Diniz above.

The post UFC 317: Jhonata Diniz Reflects on Hot Air Balloon Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Delgado (10-1) dealt with the chaotic Amil early before dropping him with a knee and finishing him with ground and pound. After the ref stepped in to stop the fight Delgado jumped up and let everybody in the arena know how he felt.

“I wanted everybody to know who I was. I wanted the division to know, I wanted the real ones to know that I’m a real one,” Delgado told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“I belong in this top elite, I’m of a certain class, I want to showcase that every time. You don’t want to fight me, you don’t belong in there with me anyways. I want to fight real ones.”

The focus now turns to Noche UFC where Delgado hopes to get a date with William Gomis. Noche UFC was originally set for Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, but issues with Arena Guadalajara forced the promotion to move the event. It will now take place in San Antonio, Texas.

“When it was Guadalajara I was so excited. I’m still so excited I have so much family in Texas. It’ll be a beautiful moment regardless,” he said.

“William Gomis and Hyder Amil had a barnburner of a fight. He’s a super technical, long, French striker southpaw. Pretty clever. I fancy myself pretty clever. I just want to face top level opposition and I think it’s a good step. I want that Noche UFC card.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Jose Miguel Delgado above.

The post Jose Miguel Delgado Hopes For Gomis Matchup At Noche UFC appeared first on Cageside Press.

Cortez (12-2) has been out of action since July 2024 due to a series of health issues that she’s kept private and understandably so. She peeled the curtain back slightly opening up on what she’s gone through the last year.

“My health was a lot more important than my career at the time a few months ago. I was going through something that was extremely scary. Specially because cancer runs in my family,” Cortez told Cageside Press among other reporters at her post-fight scrum.

“I started having a lot of issues when I was in Brazil. So then I flew back into the states because I was getting really scared. I had my surgeries, I got healthy, and I’ve been trying to get a fight since January. I was calling him (my manager) every day calling him like ‘Dude what’s going on? Book me a fight!’. He finally booked me a fight for this night, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve never fought or attended International Fight Week so it was really cool.”

Luckily for Cortez she didn’t have to face the scary reality of health issues alone.

“I have such a great support system. My family was there for me. I never felt like I was really lacking because although I was going through some health issues I was still in the gym. I wasn’t training, but my coaches were getting me out the house. My pastors were there for me as well a lot,” said Cortez.

In her post-fight interview with Joe Rogan she took the mic and spoke to the Mexican community from the heart about what’s been going on in their community. Within the last few months with the new administration taking power policy changes have seen U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) conduct raids in Latino communities all over the country looking for undocumented immigrants.

It’s resulted in communities living in fear, and recently protests, some which have turned violent. It’s an issue that’s close to Cortez given she’s part of the Mexican community, and receives a lot of support from the people.

“A lot of my fans are Mexicans. It’s the Latin community. It is someone that I represent very much to my core and I think it would be almost coward-like if I didn’t speak up about something you know,” she said.

“I want the support from what I call ‘Mi Gente, La Raza’. I want their support and I represent the Mexican flag as well as the US flag. I think it’s only right for me to speak on it. I haven’t been able to because I’ve been very focused on this fight.

“I don’t know if I am qualified to speak on such a sensitive topic, but nevertheless I could be a voice. I’m here.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Tracy Cortez above.

The post Tracy Cortez Opens Up On What Kept Her Out Of Action Since Last Year appeared first on Cageside Press.

“T-Wrecks” has never been to the judges in his professional career, and rarely exits the opening round, making him something on an anomaly among modern mixed martial artists. Win or lose, there’s been no decisions in his 24-fight professional career, which has seen him post a record of 17-7.

It took all of 55 seconds to submit Viacheslav “Slava Claus” Borshchev on Saturday, but McKinney was staying grounded after the win. “I’m just not going to get too high on it, because like I tell people, my job’s not done,” he told media outlets including Cageside Press backstage at the T-Mobile Arena. “I didn’t start this just to participate or get a couple wins in the UFC. We’re looking to get the belt. So I just want to get back to it and keep developing myself as a mixed martial artist.”

McKinney noted that staying grounded has something that has come now that he’s a little more experienced in the fight game. “Just knowing like, this is a fight, anything can happen. And just knowing that I’m competing with the highest-level people in the world, so just staying humble and just knowing that it can flip any time, so just making sure I don’t get too high on it.”

Whatever comes next, rest assured Terrance McKinney will be ready. Though these days, the 30-year old needs a full eight weeks for training camp. That has to do with filling out a bit as an adult. The weight cuts are clearly getting harder. “It felt like I did the cinnamon challenge my mouth was so dry,” admitted McKinney.

Asked how he’d describe the feeling of a win like he had on Saturday to a non-fighter, McKinney chose his words carefully, noting that young ears might be listening. “It’s like getting your favorite dessert. You got in trouble all week, you parents come in and still bless you. That’s the best way I can put it.”

Watch the full UFC 317 post-fight press conference with Terrance McKinney above.

The post Terrance McKinney “Not Going to Get Too High” on UFC 317 Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Robocop” returned to the win column with a violent knockout of Sweden’s Jack “The Joker” Hermansson on Saturday, one that saw the big Swede hit the canvas hard, head bouncing. That wasn’t the problem, however. The follow-up hammerfist was.

That blow was seen as needless by many, though in fairness to Rodrigues, referee Herb Dean hadn’t made it on scene to halt the fight. It all happened in a matter of seconds, but the debate raged regardless: was it an unnecessary blow, or an unfortunate part of the sport, where the fight continues until the ref intervenes?

“First of all, I don’t care what people think man. When you go inside the cage, we sign the contract, we’re able to [do] everything,” Rodrigues (17-6) said following the fight, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. “Because if it was the other side and he did the same, why are you going to be mad with him or something like that? He did his job.”

Rodrigues, however, isn’t oblivious to the dangers fighters face inside the cage. “I hope he’s okay. He’s a warrior like me,” he continued. “But like you said, I’m not going to stop til the ref says stop. So I just did my job, and I’m going to keep doing that. That’s what I do, that’s what he does, and it is what it is. That was my night.”

It took Hermansson several minutes just to sit up after being knocked out cold. He did leave the cage under his own power, however, and medical results later came back negative, per promotion officials.

The knockout, meanwhile, “was part of the game plan,” though the middleweight added that “I was able to fight three rounds. We don’t look for the finishes, they just happen.”

“My hand just connected, I think it was one of the most beautiful knockouts I’ve had in my career,” Rodrigues later exclaimed.

The win over Hermansson saw Rodrigues bounce back from being finished himself at the hands of Jared Cannonier earlier this year. A quick turnaround seems to be on the Brazilian’s mind. “I can fight next week. Let’s go!” he said eagerly.

Yet after a disappointing loss to Cannonier, Rodrigues has made sure to change his approach to fighting. At least part of the goal now is that “I want to enjoy this journey more,” he told Cageside Press.

“I want to enjoy being in the cage, I want to enjoy my walkout, I want to enjoy the fight week. Because that’s just one ride, it’s not going to come back. In my last fight against Jared, there was so much pressure on me. I put the pressure on me. That’s not necessary. but in this fight I was very free. I don’t care about the result, if I win or lose, I was just going to do my best inside the octagon.”

“I did my work, I’m so glad, I’m so proud. It’s a beautiful win, but even if the win didn’t come, I’m still going to be happy,” Rodrigues finished. “That’s life. I’m glad.”

Watch the full UFC 317 post-fight press conference with Gregory Rodrigues above.

The post Gregory Rodrigues Responds to Critics Of UFC 317 Finish appeared first on Cageside Press.

Dariush (23-6-1) did get the win, earning a unanimous decision after 15 minutes, but it didn’t come easy. The 36-year old snapped a two-fight skid, but was dropped in the opening five minutes. That’s something that left Dariush fuming after the fight.

“I just felt like in the first round, I was landing leg kicks, I was landing high kicks, my hands were kind of landing, and then I get dropped. So it’s frustrating,” Dariush admitted following the fight, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. “And then round two- to be honest, the game plan was to shoot. I was supposed to take him down in the first round. It’s frustrating because you don’t follow the game plan that you set, and you lose the round because of it, now you go into round, now you’re just so mad, you’re not even thinking about game plans anymore. You’re just thinking about finding ways to win.”

As far as the knockdown, Dariush recalled that “he caught me with a straight, a straight down the middle. That’s something I should be aware of, and he still caught me. Definitely impressed with his performance. Obviously I had to dig deeper, but that’s okay, I’m perfectly fine with digging deeper.”

Ahead of the fight, Moicano had the fans eating out of his hands, getting into some admittedly light hearted trash talk. No real beef, but obviously an attempt to get under Dariush’s skin, and get the fans on the Brazilian’s side. For Beneil Dariush, however, the toughest part was that he actually enjoys Moicano.

“I’ve never been one to be directed by the fans, so it wasn’t really too difficult. I would say the most difficult part is that I genuinely think Renato is very funny. It’s hard not to laugh with half the things he says,” admitted Dariush. “So it’s not like he’s getting in his head, but I’m like ‘damn that’s really funny.’ He’s got some tricks. What did he call me, ‘Senile Dariush?’ I thought that was clever. I like that stuff, it’s not a big deal. It wasn’t really getting into my head. It makes it hard to fight a guy that you like, I would say that.”

He may not be senile, but Dariush is the last 36-year old standing after the fight (he and Moicano are actually the same age). Still, the lightweight feels there’s lots to learn yet. “It feels good to be the last old man standing, but I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.”

Watch the full UFC 317 post-fight press conference with Beneil Dariush above.

The post UFC 317: “Last Old Man Standing” Beneil Dariush Not Going Anywhere Anytime Soon appeared first on Cageside Press.