It wouldn’t come as a shock if fans witness Beneil Dariush make his final walk to the Octagon at UFC Perth, where he is set to face rising prospect Quillan Salkilld. It’s the kind of matchup that instantly gets labeled as young blood versus old guard, one where the stakes feel deeply personal and potentially career-defining. For those unfamiliar, the 36-year-old veteran has endured a tough stretch, suffering three knockout losses in his last four fights.
Most recently, he was stopped in just 16 seconds by Benoit Saint Denis in November 2025. Similar defeats to Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira have raised serious concerns about his durability at this stage of his career. As a result, many now view this bout as a potential passing-of-the-torch moment, or even a retirement fight.
However, there was a time when Dariush was firmly in the title picture. ‘Benny’ put together an impressive eight-fight unbeaten run between 2018 and 2022, notching key victories over Drew Dober, Tony Ferguson, and Mateusz Gamrot. Despite that momentum, a title opportunity never materialized.
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This is because during that same stretch, Alexander Volkanovski moved up to lightweight to challenge Islam Makhachev, securing back-to-back title shots at UFC 284 and UFC 294. Meanwhile, Dariush’s momentum came to a halt with losses to Oliveira at UFC 289 and Tsarukyan in a Fight Night main event.
Adding another layer to the story, ‘Volk’ himself has admitted he feels a sense of guilt for how things unfolded. While previewing the fights set to take place at the RAC Arena this Saturday, Volkanovski acknowledged that his move up the division may have cost Dariush a long-awaited shot at 155-pound gold, admitting he feels bad for the 31-fight veteran.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the reigning 145lbs champion said, “I really do like Dariush. I feel for him. He should have fought for titles, and then that was when I obviously deserved my chance at champ-champ. I ended up taking where he probably would have been.”
The Aussie added, “He would have been backup, he would have been next if it wasn’t me, and then shit, I feel like it’s my fault that he never got that title fight. He’s a good dude, too, and definitely deserved it at that time.”
Volkanovski further explained that Dariush’s long-awaited title shot may have come after his second clash with Makhachev, but as previously noted, losses ultimately derailed that trajectory. He concluded with, “But obviously people say I deserved it, and that’s a fight that ended up happening. He was meant to pretty much get it after that, but he ended up losing, and sort of went south from there.”
Now at 36, a title shot appears firmly out of reach for Dariush. At UFC Perth, he faces a dangerous 25-year-old in Quillan Salkilld, who enters the bout with momentum after securing finishes in his last two outings, setting up a high-stakes clash that could prove pivotal for both fighters.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.