Tag: beneil dariush

UFC on ESPN 52 live results: Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

The UFC kicks off their final stretch of events in 2023 as the Octagon heads back to the Moody Center in Austin, Texas for UFC On ESPN 52: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan.

The main event features two top lightweights looking to get themselves one step closer to a title shot as fourth-ranked Beneil Dariush battles eighth-ranked Arman Tsarukyan. Dariush is looking to get back into the win column after suffering a loss to Charles Oliveira in June, which ended an eight-fight win streak. Tsarukyan comes into off of two straight wins, and victories in seven of his last eight bouts.

In the co-main event, it’s another battle of ranked lightweights as Jalin Turner, on ten days’ notice, takes on Bobby Green. Also on the main card is Rob Font welcoming former UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo to the bantamweight division, Sean Brady battles former TUF winner Kelvin Gastelum as Gastelum moves back to 170 pounds, and long-time veteran Clay Guida battles Joaquim Silva.

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> Women’s Flyweights- Veronica Hardy (7-4-1, 2-4 UFC) vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth (6-0, 1-0 UFC)

Horth slips but gets right up and they trade punches. Horth lands a body kick. Hardy lands a hard body kick. They trade leg kicks. They trade punches. Hardy lands a jab that knocks Horth off balance. Hardy lands a body kick. Hardy lands again and Horth looses her balance again. Hardy lands a jab before they clinch. Hardy lands a nice left hand. 10-9 Hardy.

Hardy lands the jab and a body kick. Horth lands a body kick but eats a counter right hand from Hardy. Hardy lands a combination. Hardy lands a quick combo. Horth lands a body kick but Hardy catches the leg and they go to the mat. They end up back on their feet quickly. They’re clinched and Horth lands a knee. They separate. Horth tries a takedown but they scramble and Horth ends up in Hardy’s guard. Hardy is controlling the head as Horth is landing short punches. Horth stands and Hardy lands an upkick that wobbles Horth. 10-9 Hardy, 20-18 Hardy.

Hardy lands a body kick. She lands another and Horth briefly grabs the leg but lets go. They clinch against the fence and Horth lands some knees. Hardy lands on the break. Hardy lands a body kick as Horth lands a right hand. They clinch against the fence and Horth lands a knee. Both land a couple of punches. Horth lands an elbow and Hardy lands a quick combo. They trade and Horth lands an elbow and Hardy briefly goes to the mat. Horth tries a takedown but Hardy ends up on top and they trade late. 10-9 Horth, 29-28 Hardy.

Official Result- Veronica Hardy def. Jamey-Lyn Horth by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

> Welterweights- Wellington Turman (18-7, 3-5 UFC) vs. Jared Gooden (22-9, 1-4 UFC)

Turman lands a leg kick. They trade punches. Turman lands a hard combination. They trade punches. Gooden lands a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Turman lands a left hook. Turman lands a hard right hand then a knee and a combo that hurts Gooden. They trade leg kicks. They trade and Turman gets a big takedown. Turman controlling and landing from the top. Turman looks for a guillotine choke but Gooden slips out. Turman ends landing from the top. 10-9 Turman.

Gooden lands a leg kick. Turman lands a left hand that hurts Gooden and follows it with a quick combo. They both rock each other as they land. They’re both landing as they’re wobbling. Gooden gets a big takedown into mount and lands some elbows. Gooden gets the back and locks in a rear-naked choke and Turman taps! What a crazy end to the fight.

Official Result- Jared Gooden def. Wellington Turman by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:11 of Round 2

> Light Heavyweights- Rodolfo Bellato (11-2, 0-0 UFC) vs. Ihor Potieria (21-4, 1-2 UFC)

They’re trading in close range to start out. Potieria lands a body kick. Potieria lands a body kick. They trade punches. Potieria lands a leg kick then a left hand. Potieria lands a combination followed by a leg kick. Potieria lands some low kicks and Bellato fires back with a combo. They clinch against the fence and Bellato lands a groin strike and we have a timeout. They get back to action and Potieria lands a left hand. They clinch against the fence. Bellato lands a knee followed by a right hook. They clinch and Potieria lands a knee and Bellato lands an elbow. Potieria with some punches from against the fence. Bellato lands some elbows. Bellato lands a knee. 10-9 Potieria.

Potieria landing to start the second. Bellato lands some big knees. Potieria lands a right hook then drops Bellato with some shots. Bellato is trying to get a takedown but Potieria ends up getting on top and is landing big punches. Potieria with some big hammerfists from the top. Potieria lands more from the top but they work their way to the feet. Bellato gets a takedown. Bellato landing big shots from the top and Potieria is covering up and it is stopped! What a comeback from Bellato to get the finish.

Official Result- Rodolfo Bellato def. Ihor Potieria by TKO (punches) at 4:17 of Round 2

> Lightweights- Drakkar Klose (13-2-1, 7-2 UFC) vs. Joe Solecki (13-3, 5-1 UFC)

Solecki gets an early takedown and is landing from the half-guard. Klose escapes from the bottom and Solecki has an arm and is looking for an armbar. Klose picks Solecki up and slams him down and Solecki is out cold! What a finish from Klose!

Official Result- Drakkar Klose def. Joe Solecki by knockout (slam) at 1:41 of Round 1

> Middleweights- Zachary Reese (6-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Cody Brundage (9-5, 3-4 UFC)

Reese lands to start. Brundage lands a right hand and is able to get a takedown after he stumbled. Reese has an arm trapped on the mat. Reese lands an upkick. Reese is looking for a triangle choke but Brundage slams his way out of it and lands some follow-up shots and it is over! A second straight slam knockout ends it, what a finish!

Official Result- Cody Brundage def. Zachary Reese by knockout (slam & punches) at 1:49 of Round 1

> Women’s Bantamweights- #12 Miesha Tate (19-9, 6-6 UFC) vs. #13 Julia Avila (9-2, 3-1 UFC)

Tate rushes right in looking for a takedown against the fence. Tate gets Avila down to the mat. Tate is in side control as she pops her head out of Avila’s control and lands some knees. Tate gets the back and is looking for a choke opening as she lands. Tate lands some right hands. Tate gets full mount. Avila gives up her back. Tate with hammerfists from the back. Tate gets the mount back and lands some punches. Complete domination from Tate. 10-8 Tate.

Tate rushes forward and Avila lands a combo. Tate gets a big takedown and Avila has the neck. Tate working from the top as Avila lets the head go. Tate landing some punches from the top. Tate in complete control from the top and landing punches. Avila gives up her back. Tate lands from the back. 10-9 Tate, 20-17 Tate.

Tate gets an immediate takedown against the fence. They get to their feet but Tate gets it right back down. Tate gets the back of Avila and locks in a rear-naked choke and Avila quickly taps! Complete domination from Tate and a big win for her.

Official Result- Miesha Tate def. Julia Avila by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:15 of Round 3

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> Middleweights- Punahele Soriano (9-3, 3-3 UFC) vs. Dustin Stoltzfus (14-5, 1-4 UFC)

Soriano lands early and Stoltzfus is rocked. Stoltzfus lands a body kick. Stoltzfus lands a groin strike and we have a brief timeout. They get back to action and Stoltzfus lands a body kick. Soriano lands a left hand. Stoltzfus tries a takedown but Soriano defends and lands a left hand. Stoltzfus lands a right hand. They trade body kicks. Stoltzfus lands a left hook and looks for a takedown against the fence. Stoltzfus lands some more kicks and Soriano lands a big left hand. Soriano lands a right hand. Stoltzfus lands a right hand. Stoltzfus gets a big slam takedown and has the back as they stand. Stoltzfus with some knees. They break. Soriano lands a left hand. He lands another. Stoltzfus drops Soriano at the end with a right hand. 10-9 Stoltzfus.

Soriano lands a body kick. Stoltzfus lands a leg kick as Soriano lands a left hand. Stoltzfus lands an inside leg kick. They trade punches and Stoltzfus gets a takedown. Stoltzfus lands from the back before they stand. They trade and Stoltzfus gets another takedown. He gets the back and locks in a rear-naked choke but it’s not fully in. He’s squeezing across the chin. It’s in tight now and Soriano taps! Great win for Stoltzfus.

Official Result- Dustin Stoltzfus def. Punahele Soriano by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:10 of Round 2

> Lightweights- Clay Guida (38-23, 18-17 UFC) vs. Joaquim Silva (12-4, 5-4 UFC)

Guida rushing in and landing and looked for a takedown but Silva defended. Guida lands a leg kick. Guida lands a combo. Silva lands a jab. Guida lands a right hand and Silva stumbles away. Silva lands an uppercut that hurts Guida. Guida tries a takedown and Silva is landing from the top and teeing off from the back now. Guida gets to his feet as Silva was landing. Guida lands some knees. Guida gets a brief takedown. 10-9 Silva.

They trade early in the second and Guida gets a brief takedown. Silva has a guillotine choke locked in but Guida is able to pop his head out. They’re clinched and Guida is landing to the body as Silva lands some knees. Guida lands a right hand. Guida now landing punches and uppercuts. Silva gets a guillotine choke locked in and drops down to the mat. Guida pops his way out and gets the back. Guida has control as they stand. Guida gets a takedown but they get right back to their feet. Guida gets a big takedown but they get right up. Guida has the back against the fence. 10-9 Guida, 19-19.

They trade to start the third. Guida lands a left hand followed by a leg kick. Silva lands a head kick and Guida shakes it off. Both being patient on the feet. Guida tries for a takedown against the fence but Silva is defending. They get to their feet and are clinched up against the fence. Silva has the neck and looks for a guillotine choke. They trade in the clinch at the end. 10-9 Silva, 29-28 Silva.

Official Result- Joaquim Silva def. Clay Guida by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

> Welterweights- #9 Sean Brady (15-1, 5-1 UFC) vs. #11 MW Kelvin Gastelum (18-8 1 NC, 12-8 1 NC UFC)

They tie up early and Brady lands some knees. Brady pushes Gastelum against the fence and scores a takedown, then takes the back. Gastelum rolls and it allows Brady to get the hooks in. Gastelum is able to escape and they get to their feet. Brady lands a right hand. Brady lands a jab and gets it down. Brady gets the back. Gastelum crawls towards the fence. Brady landing punches from the back as Gastelum is trying to escape. 10-9 Brady.

Gastelum lands a leg kick. Brady scores a takedown. Brady lands to the body. Brady is in total control from the top and doing enough to keep it from getting stood up, but there’s not a lot going on. Brady gets the back and lands a right hand. Brady has the back to end the round. 10-9 Brady, 20-18 Brady.

Brady gets a takedown and is in the mount. He’s looking to lock in an arm-triangle choke but lets go. He now has the arm and locks in a kimura and it is in tight and Gastelum taps! Nice finish from Brady in a dominant showing.

Official Result- Sean Brady def. Kelvin Gastelum by submission (kimura) at 1:43 of Round 3

> Bantamweights- #8 Rob Font (20-7, 10-6 UFC) vs. #2 FLY Deiveson Figueiredo (21-3-1, 10-3-1 UFC)

Font lands a right hand and Figueiredo gets a brief takedown but Font is able to pop up. Figueiredo lands a right hand. Font lands a right hand and Figueiredo is able to get a takedown. They scramble right up and Figueiredo pushes it against the fence. They quickly separate. Font lands a combo and gets the back of Figueiredo standing. They break. Font lands a jab. They trade stiff jabs. Figueiredo lands a right hand then lands a big punch that hurt Font for a moment. Font lands a jab and they tie up. They quickly break. They trade stiff jabs. Figueiredo lands a leg kick. 10-9 Figueiredo.

Figueiredo lands a right hand. They tie up and Figueiredo pushes it against the fence. We have a timeout due to a groin strike. They get back to action and trade right hands. Figueiredo lands a right hand. They trade leg kicks. Font rushes forward throwing and they both land. Font lands a right hand. Figueiredo lands a combo. Figueiredo with two left hands late. 10-9 Figueiredo, 20-18 Figueiredo.

Figueiredo lands a body kick and pushes it against the fence but they separate. They trade and Font grabs a body lock. They separate. Font lands a combination. Figueiredo rocks Font with a left hand. Figueiredo lands a knee to the body then an elbow. They trade punches. Figueiredo lands a takedown. He’s landing from the top and looking to set some sort of choke up. Figueiredo stands and lands some right hands as he gets back on top. Figueiredo is now in side control. They get to their feet at the end. 10-9 Figueiredo, 30-27 Figueiredo.

Official Result- Deiveson Figueiredo def. Rob Font by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

> Lightweights- #12 Jalin Turner (13-7, 6-4 UFC) vs. #13 Bobby Green (31-14-1 1 NC, 12-9-1 1 NC UFC)

Turner lands a combo after Green lands a leg kick. Green lands a left hand. Turner lands a leg kick. They trade punches. Turner lands left hand. Turner lands a head kick. Green lands a body kick. Turner rocks Green with a combo and then drops him and starts teeing off. Green is out from the punches and Kerry Hatley stops it late of course. Nice win for Turner but what a disgraceful referee job from Hatley.

Official Result- Jalin Turner def. Bobby Green by knockout (punches) at 2:49 of Round 1

> Lightweights- #4 Beneil Dariush (22-5-1, 15-5-1 UFC) vs. #8 Arman Tsarukyan (20-3, 7-2 UFC)

Tsarukyan landing the jab. Dariush lands a left hand. Dariush lands a leg kick. Tsarukyan drops Dariush with a big knee and lands some follow-up punches to get the finish. What a fantastic finish from Tsarukyan and this is a statement win.

Official Result- Arman Tsarukyan def. Beneil Dariush by knockout (knee & punches) at 1:04 of Round 1

UFC Fight Night 98 DFS Playbook: Who to target & who to avoid

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

Here’s some advice for who to pick in your DraftKings lineup for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 98 event in Mexico City, Mexico, headlined by a five-round lightweight bout between Rafael Dos Anjos and Tony Ferguson on FOX Sports 1.

Top Target: Sam Alvey ($9,100)

Sam Alvey is looking to close out a busy 2016 when he steps into the Octagon for possibly the final time this year, though who knows with him as he could fight again next month. He is fighting for the fourth time in five months as he takes on Alex Nicholson in the UFC Fight Pass Featured Prelim of UFC Fight Night 98. Alvey is 2-1 this year, but he has won two straight, both wins coming by stoppage. With 37 career bouts under his belt, he has a huge experience advantage over his opponent on Saturday, Alex Nicholson.

Nicholson fights for the third time inside the Octagon, and he is looking to score his second straight win after a knockout win over Devin Clark in June. Alvey comes into this fight as the big favorite, and for very good reason. 21 of his 28 career wins have come by stoppage, with an impressive 18 coming by knockout. All five of his UFC wins have come by stoppage, and he has only been finished twice in his career.

Alvey has a huge advantage in this fight in that he is an excellent counterpuncher, and he suckers his opponents into striking battles and picks them apart in return. He isn’t aggressive, but that will come into play as Nicholson is an aggressive fighter. Nicholson will likely be on the offensive, and that is going to spell trouble for him. With Nicholson’s wild style, it is going to leave him open for a counter, and Alvey will find that opening. Alvey is also solid in the clinch and Nicholson has nothing other than his hard hitting.

This is Alvey’s fight to lose, and he is on a solid roll right now. I expect a finish of Nicholson, and Alvey only has the third-highest salary on the card. He is my top play on this card.

Value Target: Tony Ferguson ($7,900)

Tony Ferguson has won a very impressive eight straight fights, and he is one win away from fighting for a title. He gets his first main event slot when he takes on former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos in the five-round headline bout on Saturday night. Dos Anjos is fighting for the first time since being knocked out by Eddie Alvarez in losing his lightweight title in July. Dos Anjos is the slight favorite in this fight, which is surprising given the recent success for Ferguson.

There are a lot of factors that could hinder Dos Anjos. He has left his long-time training camp to start his own camp with new coaches, and that hasn’t resulted in a lot of success for other fighters who have done that in the past. He also didn’t look all that sharp against Alvarez, and Ferguson is a much more versatile fighter. Ferguson is very unorthodox on his feet, and he is flashy and mixes everything well. He also has good takedowns and a very strong submission game. He is improving as a fighter, while at the same time, Dos Anjos looks to be regressing from his peak as a fighter.

Dos Anjos is still capable of being dangerous, but I’m not convinced he should be the favorite in this fight. That makes Ferguson have great value from a fantasy perspective in this fight. If you couple it with the fact this is a 25-minute fight, and it has every chance of going the full distance, there are more scoring opportunities. I don’t believe it will go the full distance, but I sense it going three rounds before Ferguson finds a win by submission.

The biggest key is whether Ferguson’s aggression and his tendency to get sloppy gives Dos Anjos an opening to capitalize. I like Ferguson a lot in this fight and he will be on my roster, and his salary makes him extremely valuable.

Target To Avoid: Max Griffin ($8,800)

Max Griffin is fighting for the second time inside the Octagon and he is looking to rebound from a loss in his debut when he takes on Erick Montano on Saturday night. Griffin was stopped in the third round of his UFC debut by Colby Covington, who is an excellent prospect, and he gets a less-tougher opponent in Montano. Montano did win season two of The Ultimate Fighter Latin America, but he was stopped in his first fight following the show when he was submitted by Randy Brown in September.

Both men have quick turnarounds in this fight, and that may favor Montano in the high altitude of Mexico as he trains there. Griffin is the better fighter of the two as he has solid wrestling and some good striking, but Montano is a flashy opponent who is solid at everything, but unspectacular at everything as well. Griffin will have the size advantage, but he also isn’t a good defensive wrestler, and Montano is good at takedowns.

Griffin is a big favorite in this fight and has a very high salary, and I don’t see why. Perhaps it is because he is big, strong and athletic, but he is going to have a tough time in this one. I don’t see him finishing Montano, and that should be an almost-given with a fighter that has a high salary. He may get a lackluster decision win, but that isn’t going to get you a lot of fantasy points.

There are better options at similar salaries, and with 26 fighters on this card, there is going to be fighters you have to avoid. Griffin is one of those at his price range.

Underdog Target: Beneil Dariush ($7,800)

Beneil Dariush is an interesting fighter to watch on Saturday. He has won six of his last seven fights and is currently ranked ninth in the UFC’s lightweight rankings. Yet, he finds himself as the underdog when he takes on Rashid Magomedov in a main card bout at UFC Fight Night 98. Magomedov is 19-1 in his career and the winner of twelve straight fights, including the last four inside the Octagon. He hasn’t fought in a year due to a knee injury, and cage rust is a real thing.

Magomedov has also become a more controlled fighter as he only has one finish in his last seven wins. Dariush has beaten the much-tougher competition of the two in the UFC. Magomedov is good and technical on his feet, but Dariush has more power on his feet. He is also more aggressive and is very strong in the clinch. Dariush does have good takedowns, but Magomedov is strong in defending the takedown. Magomedov was able to stay on the feet against Gilbert Burns, who is world-class at getting opponents to the mat. Dariush has been a part of Rafael Dos Anjos’ new training team, stepping away from his comfort zone at Kings MMA. I don’t think that will affect him as much as it will Dos Anjos, but it is an underlying factor.

Magomedov is a solid counterstriker, but he tends to wait until his opponent begins to engage to do anything. He has to be more aggressive against Dariush. Dariush is a crafty grappler. This is an interesting battle and a toss-up when breaking it down. Magomedov is the favorite and has the higher salary of the two, but whoever had the lower salary would have found himself as my underdog target.

If I were making a prediction, I actually think Dariush is going to win this fight, and I think he has a sneaky chance of getting a submission. At his salary, I see him as a strong underdog target to roll with.

Our Line-Ups

Ryan Frederick: Sam Alvey ($9,100), Polo Reyes ($8,900), Ricardo Lamas ($8,100), Tony Ferguson ($7,900), Beneil Dariush ($7,800), Marco Beltran ($7,700)

I’m going with Sam Alvey, Tony Ferguson and Beneil Dariush based on everything said above, and I really like all of their chances to score not just wins, but finishes, in their fights on Saturday night. I’m rounding out my team with Polo Reyes, Ricardo Lamas and Marco Beltran. Reyes has scored two big knockout wins in his two UFC bouts, and all six of his career wins have come by stoppage. He has been stopped in his three losses, but Jason Novelli isn’t a big finisher, and Novelli was finished in his lone UFC bout. I like Reyes’ chances to score another knockout win.

Lamas takes on Charles Oliveira in a very exciting featherweight match-up. Oliveira is taking the fight on short notice as Lamas was preparing for five rounds against BJ Penn. That will affect Oliveira, and that’s not to mention the fact he fades late. I see Lamas weathering an early attack and wearing Oliveira out for a third-round stoppage. Beltran is taking on a super late notice replacement in Joe Soto, and they’re doing a catchweight bout. Not having to cut that extra weight will be beneficial for Beltran, and while Soto is a tough out, I like his chances to win due to the short notice.

Paul Fontaine: Sam Alvey ($9,100), Marcin Held ($9,000), Rafael Dos Anjos ($8,300), Martin Bravo ($8,200), Beneil Dariush ($7,800), Felipe Arantes ($7,500)

Alvey’s M.O. is going into other countries and scoring KO wins and cutting a promo that makes him a bigger babyface than the local guy. Well he’s fighting an American here in Mexico but everything else should stay the same. Held is one of the best submission guys in all of MMA and making his UFC debut. He may have to break Diego Sanchez’ arm but he’ll make him tap. I really like Tony Ferguson …. A LOT.. but I feel he’s a bit overmatched against the former champion in Rafael Dos Anjos, who will probably score a 1st round KO.

Martin Bravo is the more accomplished of the two TUF finalists that are fighting here and should score a win. Beneil Dariush is slick and I’m thinking that he ends the UFC unbeaten record of Rashid Magomedov. My last pick is Felipe Arantes who has scored stoppages in 3 of his 5 UFC wins. He should do the same against local hero Erik Perez in Mexico City. 

Peach Machine: Sam Alvey ($9,100), Marcin Held ($9,000), Rafael Dos Anjos ($8,300), Ricardo Lamas ($8,100), Beneil Dariush ($7,800), Marco Beltran ($7,700)

RDA is going to rebound and Ferguson is going to fall. Held should be able to dispatch with Sanchez, who took a MONSTER beating at UFC 200. Lamas is going to have a war here and I like him to win by finish. Smilin’ Sam just keeps on fighting, and I keep on loving it. Dariush is a real tough guy, and is underrated. Beltran put me right at 50,000. So I took him.