UFC 317 Fight Card Odds, Picks And Predictions: Dariush Vs. Moicano
A fight the UFC initially booked for UFC 311 takes place on the pay-per-view portion of this weekend's UFC 317 fight card. That lightweight bout finds two UFC veterans who are ranked inside the top 10 facing off. The matchup sees the No. 9 ranked Beneil Dariush opposite the No. 10 Renato Moicano.
The UFC 311 scrap between these two 36-year-olds fell apart on weigh-in day of that January 2025 event when the UFC tapped Moicano to step in to face UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev when a back injury prevented the champ's initial opponent, Arman Tsarukyan, from competing. Makhachev submitted Moicano in the first round. Tsarukyan is reportedly the backup fighter for the UFC 317 main event.
Two title fights get top billing on the UFC 317 PPV. In the main event, former UFC featherweight champ Ilia Topuria battles ex-UFC lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight strap. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, UFC flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja puts his title on the line against Kai Kara-France. UFC 317 serves as the anchor event for the 2025 edition of International Fight Week.
We look at betting odds, line movement, preview, picks, and predictions for the Dariush vs. Moicano matchup on the UFC 317 fight card. Forbes With Jon Jones Retired, Tom Aspinall Opens As Favorite Over Ciryl Gane By Trent Reinsmith
AUSTIN, TEXAS - DECEMBER 02: Beneil Dariush of Iran prepares before his lightweight fight against ... More Arman Tsarukyan of Georgia during the UFC Fight Night event at Moody Center on December 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Beneil Dariush (22-6-1) joined the UFC in January 2014. At the time, Dariush sported a 6-0 record with five stoppage wins. In his promotional debut, Dariush scored a first-round submission win over Charlie Brenneman. Three months later Dariush tasted defeat for the first time, suffering a knockout loss to Ramsey Nijem.
Dariush bounced back from that loss with five wins in a row, besting the likes of Daron Cruickshank (submission), Jim Miller (decision) and Michael Johnson (decision). A submission loss to Michael Chiesa ended that winning streak in April 2016.
Wins over James Vick (knockout) and Rashid Magomedov put Dariush's record at 14-2, but a rough patch between March 2017 and March 2018 left Dariush at 14-4-1 as he lost to Edson Barboza (knockout), fought to a draw with Evan Dunham and was knocked out by Alexander Hernandez.
Dariush rebounded in a big way from that winless run, picking up eight straight victories between November 2018 and October 2022. The most significant win during Dariush's impressive run was his UFC 280 decision win over Mateusz Gamrot. Following that victory, Dariush found himself as the No. 4 ranked fighter in the official UFC rankings and matched up against former UFC 155-pound champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 289. Oliveira entered the contest as the No. 1 ranked fighter in the promotion's lightweight division.
Oliveira won the fight via TKO at 4:10 of the first round, ending Dariush's winning streak. A December 2023 knockout loss to Arman Tsarukyan put Dariush on the first losing skid of his career. He has not competed since the loss to Tsarukyan.
The 36-year-old Dariush looks to get back in the win column at UFC 317.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 18: Renato Moicano of Brazil prepares to face Islam Makhachev of ... More Russia in the UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC 311 event at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Zuffa LLC
Renato Moicano (20-6-1) was riding the first four-fight winning streak of his UFC career when he stepped in to face Makhachev at UFC 311. The 36-year-old opened his run with the promotion at 3-0 record between 2014 and 2017. Since then, Moicano has been up and down. He followed that by going 5-5 over his next 10 outings before beginning his current unbeaten streak in 2022.
Moicano is 7-1 dating back to June 2021. His only loss prior to his UFC 311 setback to Makhachev was a March 2022 unanimous decision defeat to former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in a 160-pound catchweight battle.
In April 2024, Moicano picked up his first knockout as a member of the UFC, decking Jalin Turner on the early prelims of the UFC 300 fight card.
Then, in September 2024, the UFC tapped Moicano for the first main event of his UFC career against Benoît Saint Denis. That fight ended after the second round after Moicano left Saint Denis' face bloody and swollen. The damage Moicano put on his opponent forced the doctor to wave off the fight as Saint Denis' right eye was nearly swollen shut.
Moicano enters UFC 317 as the No. 10 fighter in the UFC's 155-pound weight class. Forbes UFC Announces First Nine Fights For UFC 318 Fight Card By Trent Reinsmith UFC 317 Fight Card Betting Lines And Movement: Beneil Dariush Vs. Renato Moicano
At UFC 311, Dariush opened as the +180 betting underdog to Moicano, who was -210.
For the UFC 317 matchup between these two, Dariush was the +155 underdog at open to Moicano's -180. Today, according to BetOnline, the fight is a pick 'em with Dariush at -104 and Moicano at -116. UFC 311 Fight Card Tale Of The Tape: Beneil Dariush Vs. Renato Moicano Beneil Dariush
Age: 36 Height: 5' 10' Reach: 72'
Stance: Southpaw Renato Moicano
Age: 36 Height: 5'10' Reach: 72'
Stance: Orthodox Forbes UFC Announces First Nine Fights For UFC 319 PPV Fight Card By Trent Reinsmith UFC 317 Fight Card Predictions And Picks: Beneil Dariush Vs. Renato Moicano
We all know that in MMA a fighter is only as good as their most recent outing, or at least that's the logic that many follow. Had this fight been booked before Dariush's two recent losses, he would have likely have been the betting favorite. After all, he is the more skilled competitor in this bout.
However, Dariush has lost two straight and Moicano, who might have been considered more of a journeyman than a legit lightweight contender before the winning streak that earned him a last-minute title fight, was on the best run of his UFC career before UFC 311.
The betting pick is for Beneil Dariush to use his better overall MMA skills to pick up a decision win and end his losing skid. Forbes UFC 317 Fight Card Odds, Picks And Predictions: Talbott Vs. Lima By Trent Reinsmith
We will have more on the UFC 317 Dariush vs. Moicano bout as fight night nears, as well as live results, reactions, highlights and more for the UFC 317 pay-per-view card on fight night.
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