After the fans’ choice UFC Honors winners were announced, it came as little surprise that Romulo Barral black belt Beneil Dariush had won the “Comeback of the Year” award.
Back in March, Dariush battled against Drakkar Klose in a fight at UFC 248 that, for a moment, seemed like it would end in Klose’s favor. The first round saw Dariush nearly finish a rear naked choke on Klose, but in round two, Klose came forward with some aggressive combos, battering Dariush and pushing him back toward the cage. Things weren’t looking good for Dariush, but then, one punch changed everything.
Dariush staggered Klose and didn’t relent, following up with punch after punch until he finally got the head shot that dropped Klose to the ground, leaving no need for Dariush to follow up with any further damage. The turnaround happened in mere seconds.
As Dariush accepted his Comeback of the Year award, he gave an emotional interview revealing that at the time of the fight, he and his wife thought they were expecting a baby. He took the fight and switched up his gameplan in the middle of the action to ensure that he could finish the fight, the back of his mind reminding him that he needed to provide for his family. The effort paid off, not only in the form of the UFC Honors award, but also in a “Performance of the Night” award at UFC 248.
You can watch the interview below:
This one means everything.
— UFC (@ufc) February 4, 2021
This afternoon, @BeneilDariush accepted his Comeback of the Year award?
[ ? #UFCHonors presented by @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/9FwMLEm5QR
