During a recent appearance on the mixed martial arts show Trocason Franca Podcast, Kings MMA coach Rafael Cordeiro shared that Beneil Dariush returned to sparring in March after a substantial break from intense training in the gym.
Dariush experienced a setback in his eight-fight winning streak in 2023 with losses to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, both by strikes. Following these bouts, Cordeiro advised the 34-year-old lightweight fighter to take a break due to concerns about head injuries, as they were not the only instances he faced in 2023.
Cordeiro mentioned, “Benny had a very challenging year last year. He suffered two knockouts and three knockdowns. There were two instances of getting knocked down in the gym and one knockout in a fight against Charles, followed by getting knocked out in the bout with Armand. He encountered five concerning situations related to head injuries this year. As he’s a young athlete, we requested him to take some time off.”
Notably, Dariush had only lost four of his last 27 MMA fights since 2009 before these challenging matches, all ending in stoppages. Michael Chiesa secured a win with a rear-naked choke, while Ramsey Nijem, Edson Barboza, and Alexander Hernandez won via KO or TKO.
Cordeiro mentioned that Dariush is financially stable and does not feel pressured to rush back into the Octagon but will be prepared when the time is right. The head of Kings MMA confirmed that Dariush is back to sparring in California and is in good spirits.
Commenting on Dariush’s situation, Cordeiro expressed his concerns, saying, “As a coach, I’m not alarmed, but as a father figure, I am anxious. I consider him as my own child, so there’s no need to put him through rigorous testing without charge at this point. Benny has had an 8-2 record in his last 10 fights, and some suggest his retirement, which I find unjustified. We need to prioritize his well-being as some factors are beyond our control. Our concentration is on his health, as we cannot afford to be careless.”
He further added, “Once he is physically recovered, we will assess the fights that suit him best. This is not about his confidence, as he has it. It’s more about being cautious due to the number of hits he has taken. I hope he considers this aspect.”
