TLDR
- Manuel Torres withdrew from his UFC 327 fight against Beneil Dariush due to injury
- The bout was scheduled for April 11 in Miami and had been delayed multiple times from its original February date
- Dariush has not fought since being knocked out in 16 seconds by Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 322 in November
- Torres is ranked #14 in the lightweight division and had won his last two fights by knockout
- Dariush suggested Paddy Pimblett as a potential replacement opponent for the Miami card
Sources: yardbarker.com | si.com
Beneil Dariush has lost his scheduled opponent for UFC 327 after Manuel Torres withdrew due to injury. The lightweight bout was set for the main card on April 11 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
Dariush revealed the news during an appearance on the Overdogs podcast. “I just found out, I think it was yesterday or Sunday, he pulled out,” the 36-year-old said. “He’s injured, so I guess that fight is not happening anymore.”
Fight Repeatedly Delayed Before Cancellation
According to Dariush, the matchup had been pushed back multiple times before Torres finally pulled out. The fight was originally scheduled for February before being moved to March 7 and then April 11.
“I’m assuming he was injured and he was pushing it back and pushing it back,” Dariush explained. “Essentially, it didn’t work out for him, and he probably reinjured himself.”
The bout would have marked Dariush’s return after suffering a brutal knockout loss to Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 322 in November. Saint Denis knocked out Dariush just 16 seconds into their fight.
🚨Manuel Torres is OUT of his fight with Beneil Dariush at #UFC327 on April 11.
No replacement opponent yet. pic.twitter.com/YDvD97CRLv
— Octagon Pulse | UFC MEDIA🚨 (@OctagonPulse) March 11, 2026
Torres, ranked #14 in the lightweight division, was coming off back-to-back knockout victories. He stopped Drew Dober in less than two minutes at UFC Mexico and followed that with a knockout win over Grant Dawson at UFC 323.
The 30-year-old Torres has earned “Performance of the Night” bonuses for every one of his UFC victories. He started his UFC career with three straight first-round finishes before losing to Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC 306.
Dariush Eyes Paddy Pimblett as Replacement
Dariush said he is waiting for the UFC to find him a new opponent for the April card. He also mentioned one name that caught his attention.
“I’m just waiting on an opponent,” Dariush said. “The only guy I saw that’s available is Paddy [Pimblett].”
A fight with Pimblett would give Dariush a chance to break back into the division’s Top 10. Pimblett recently lost his bid for the interim lightweight title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 324.
The fight against Torres would have placed Dariush against a lower-ranked opponent as he attempted to bounce back from the devastating loss to Saint Denis. At 36 years old, Dariush is looking to regain momentum in a competitive lightweight division.
UFC 327 is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg for the belt recently vacated by Alex Pereira. The co-main event features Joshua Van defending his flyweight title against Tatsuro Taira.
The card also includes Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit, Tatiana Suarez vs. Lupita Godinez, and Kevin Holland vs. Randy Brown. With Torres’ withdrawal, UFC 327 is currently scheduled to feature 12 fights.
The UFC has not yet announced a replacement opponent for Dariush or confirmed whether he will remain on the April 11 card.
