by
- What: UFC 311
- Who: Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
- Date: Saturday, January 18, 2025
- Location: Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California
- Time: Early Prelims (6:00 p.m. ET), Prelims (8:00 p.m. ET), Pay-Per-View Card (10:00 p.m. ET)
- How to Watch: Early Prelims (ESPN+) Prelims (ESPNews), Main Card (ESPN+ PPV)
The first pay-per-view card on the UFC schedule in 2025 takes place on Saturday, January 18, when the promotion heads to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. That fight card, UFC 311, is headlined by a lightweight title fight between UFC champion Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan. In the co-main event, UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili puts his title on the line against Umar Nurmagomedov. Before that, a pivotal lightweight scrap between Beneil Dariush and Renato Moicano goes down on the UFC 311 PPV card.
Beneil Dariush (22-6-1) looks to end the first two-fight losing skid of his MMA career on Saturday. Dariush enters UFC 311 with back-to-back knockout losses on his record, falling to former champion Charles Oliveira in June 2023 and main event title challenger Arman Tsarukyan in December 2023. Dariush is the No. 9 ranked fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings.
Renato Moicano (20-5-1) is riding a four-fight winning streak ahead of UFC 311. The No. 10 ranked lightweight, Moicano, last competed in September, beating Benoit Saint Denis via TKO (Dr. stoppage).
Before we look at the best bets for Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano on the UFC 311 PPV card, check out the best UFC betting sites and where you can find our betting picks for the UFC 311 main event: Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan 2.
UFC 311: Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
| Fighters |  |  |  |  |
| Beneil Dariush | +170 | +178 | +170 | +185 |
| Renato Moicano | -200 | -215 | -210 | -244 |
UFC 311: Beneil Dariush betting breakdown
The 35-year-old Beneil Dariush looked to be one win away from getting a UFC lightweight title shot in 2023. Heading into his UFC 289 co-main event fight against Charles Oliveira, Dariush was on an eight-fight winning streak. However, Oliveira knocked out Dariush in the first round of that contest. Dariush had an opportunity to get back in the win column in December 2023 in the main event of a UFC Fight Night Card, but Arman Tsarukyan knocked him out in the first round. If Dariush hopes to stay in the mix of the UFC lightweight elite, he needs a win on the UFC 311 fight card.
Dariush is one of the top wrestlers in the UFC lightweight division. However, throughout his winning streak, Dariush tended to try to beat opponents where they were at their best. That was a risky proposition for Dariush, and it caught up to him against Oliveira. Expect a more conservative approach from the UFC veteran when he faces Moicano, who has 12 stoppage wins in his career, 10 submissions and two knockouts. Dariush joined the promotion in 2014.
Dariush lands 3.78 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 48 percent. His striking defense is 57 percent and he gets hit with 2.65 significant strikes per minute. Dariush lands 1.90 takedowns per 15 minutes with an accuracy of 34 percent and has great takedown defense at 80 percent effectiveness.
UFC 311: Renato Moicano betting breakdown
Renato Moicano fought three times in 2022. He missed all of 2023 due to injury. He then went 3-0 in 2024, becoming a highly-ranked UFC lightweight. Moicano looks to take the next step up the 155-pound ladder at UFC 311.
Moicano is best known for his submission skills. The Brazilian has 10 career submission wins and eight decision victories in his MMA career. Moicano has picked up six of those submission victories under the UFC banner. Along with his grappling skills, Moicano is a solid technical striker who can set and sustain a good pace throughout his fights. He also throws his strikes in volume, works well behind his jab, and is impressive in controlling the range where his fights take place. The majority of Moicano’s strikes target the head. In his five-round contests against former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, 87 percent of Moicano’s significant strikes targeted his foe’s head. Dos Anjos won that scrap via decision. That number increased to 88 percent in his knockout win over Jalin Turner.
If there is a knock against Moicano, it’s that his chin doesn’t always hold up when he gets tagged. That’s not great for a fighter who lands 4.42 significant strikes per minute while getting hit at a rate of 3.60 times per 60 seconds. Three of Moicano’s losses have come via knockout. All those defeats have come while he has been a member of the UFC roster. Moicano’s striking accuracy is 49 percent, and his striking defense is 60 percent. He lands 1.87 takedowns per 15 minutes and has a takedown accuracy of 44 percent. His takedown defense is 72 percent.
Best Bets: UFC 311 – Beneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano
If this fight had taken place before Dariush’s losses to Oliveira and Tsarukyan and before Moicano’s wins over Turner and Saint-Denis, Dariush would have been the betting favorite and the pick to win. However, MMA is a “what have you done for me lately” sport, and as such, Moicano is the betting favorite. We should consider that Moicano could continue his winning streak at UFC 311 despite Dariush being the more talented fighter in every way. Dariush has also met tougher competition throughout his career.
The betting pick is to go with the value bet. Look for Beneil Dariush to beat Renato Moicano at UFC 311.
See below the top offshore sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
Best Betting Sites 