The road to the UFC lightweight title is a treacherous one, as evidenced by the plight of top contenders like Tony Ferguson and Arman Tsarukyan, who have gone years without a shot at the undisputed championship. Despite their impressive win streaks, these fighters have been denied the opportunity to compete for the title, with injuries and scheduling conflicts serving as roadblocks. One such contender, Beneil Dariush, a former #3-ranked lightweight, found himself in a similar predicament. Despite a remarkable 8-fight win streak, which included a near-finish of former interim champ Ferguson and a decision effort over UFC Rio headliner Mateusz Gamrot, Dariush was never offered a title fight. The 36-year-old admitted that he never felt the UFC would give him a title shot, even as he maintained an undefeated record from 2019 to 2022. In 2023, the lightweight title shot went to featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski, who replaced Charles Oliveira on short notice at UFC 294 for a rematch against Islam Makhachev. Dariush's eight-fight win streak was snapped by Oliveira earlier that year, but he remains a formidable force in the division, currently ranked #9 in the UFC lightweight division after a unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Renato Moicano at UFC 317. The story of Beneil Dariush highlights a category of contenders who have cracked the top 5 of the division but have yet to secure a world title fight. The recently-retired Jimmie Rivera, once ranked #3 in the world, and Cub Swanson, another top contender, are among those who didn't get a crack at gold in the UFC. These fighters' journeys underscore the challenges and unpredictability of the UFC's lightweight division, where a single fight can make or break a contender's title aspirations.
