Beneil Dariush is already pondering about his retirement. According to the 34-year-old fighter, he has two “requirements” that will tell him when it’s finally his time, and one of them could happen in his upcoming bout against Arman Tsarukyan.
Dariush, who has been fighting under UFC since 2014, will have his first main event today at UFC on ESPN 52. In case he wins, this victory could soon lead him to the lightweight title shot. However, the fighter said this fight is no longer about that, suggesting he’s also open to other possibilities, including retirement.
Dariush admitted in his interview what a dangerous foe Tsarukyan could be, given the latter’s age and enthusiasm in the MMA field. Yet, for Dariush, Tsarukyan could help him assess his future.
“I have two requirements for a retirement,” said Dariush during the conference this week. “One is I’m gonna get in that Octagon, and I won’t feel anything. When I have that, I’m done,” Dariush said. “And my other one is when these young guys start outworking me. So, if I have somebody in the gym who’s outworking me, and they’re younger than me, and I just can’t keep up with them, I’m done.”
Ultimately, Dariush underscored that his fights are no longer about rankings. The veteran believes that he might not move upward in the ranking if he wins and will just drop a bit in case he loses. As such, Dariush wants to focus on collecting the best fights of his life before he ends his career.
“You know, Luke Thomas asked me this question. He asked like this: ‘What do you gain from this fight?’ and I would say in terms of status, nothing. I gain nothing from this fight. You know, if I win, I don’t think my ranking will change; if I lose, I’m definitely going to get dropped quite a bit. But I’m an athlete who loves to compete, and I like to compete with the best people in the world. And I believe he (Dariush) is one of the best people in the world, so that’s what motivates me to compete. It’s not an issue of rankings; it’s not an issue of status where it’s gonna lead me. I wanna make sure before I retire I fight the best guys in the world, and I think I’m doing that.”
