Report: Beneil Dariush out of UFC Vegas 49 main event vs. Islam Makachev due to injury

Next week’s UFC Vegas 49 event was supposed to be headlined by a lightweight fight between top five contenders Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush.…

By: Milan Ordoñez | 1 year ago
Report: Beneil Dariush out of UFC Vegas 49 main event vs. Islam Makachev due to injury
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Next week’s UFC Vegas 49 event was supposed to be headlined by a lightweight fight between top five contenders Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush. It is likely a title eliminator bout to determine who faces the winner between Justin Gaethje and reigning champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 274 in May.

Unfortunately, that’s no longer happening. As reported by Ariel Helwani on Twitter on Wednesday night, Dariush was forced off the bout due to an ankle injury. The UFC has yet to announce whether or not there will be a replacement opponent for Makhachev, or if the matchup will be postponed to a later date.

Both Makhachev and Dariush have been on a tear over the last few years. The number three-ranked Dariush hasn’t lost since 2018, and four out of his last six wins earned him post-fight bonuses. His biggest win happened at UFC 262 in May when he defeated former interim champion Tony Ferguson via decision.

The number four-ranked Makhachev, meanwhile, has compiled a nine-fight win streak beginning in 2016. His most notable victory happened at UFC 267 last October against Dan Hooker, whom he defeated via first-round submission.

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Milan Ordoñez
Milan Ordoñez

Milan Ordoñez has been covering combat sports since 2012 and has been part of the Bloody Elbow staff since 2016. He’s also competed in amateur mixed martial arts and submission grappling tournaments.

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