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UFC 317 star turned Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier into a famous meme with stunning come-from-behind knockout

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Curtis Calhoun | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 10:37 PM ET

UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush prompted one of the wildest on-air reactions in UFC history from Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier.

Lightweights Beneil Dariush and Drakkar Klose were fighting for Top 15 contention on the undercard of UFC 248. Both lightweights entered the bout with impressive win streaks, but the fight itself didn’t prompt lofty expectations from the UFC fan base.

As Dariush and Klose entered the Octagon at UFC 248, few could’ve predicted the insanity that would ensue.

Dariush vs. Klose barely had any boring moments as long as the fight lasted. The two lightweights treated fans to an absolute slugfest in a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate in 2020.

Beneil Dariush’s legendary knockout led to Joe Rogan/Daniel Cormier meme

Almost immediately after the fight started, Dariush and Klose opted to fight in a rhetorical ‘phone booth’ in a wild flurry of punches. But Klose secured the better moments early, putting Dariush on the verge of a knockout loss with pace and pressure.

Dariush was able to overcome Klose’s Round 1 barrage, but had to withstand another flurry in Round 2 from his opponent. Somehow, Dariush was able to fight out of it and survive, at the behest of an exhausted Klose.

Dariush rallied from being up against the cage, to forcing Klose on the back foot in the opening minute of the second round. With his rival exhausted, Dariush landed a massive punch to Klose’s chin that knocked him out instantly.

The knockout remains one of the wildest come-from-behind wins in UFC history. Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier‘s reactions below will tell you the story of how the fight played out.

Dariush earned a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus and extended his four-fight winning streak in the lightweight division. He’d go on to win four more fights before his eight-fight streak ended against Charles Oliveira at UFC 289.

As for Klose, he remains a dangerous out for the top lightweights in the UFC. He’s traded wins and losses in recent years, defeating the likes of Joe Solecki, Joaquim Silva, and Christos Giagos.

Ilia Topuria promises to make Charles Oliveira’s chin ‘explode’ at UFC 317

Dariush will face UFC fan favorite Renato Moicano at UFC 317 later this month as he looks to get back into the lightweight title mix. Dariush and Moicano were supposed to square off at UFC 311 earlier this year, before a last-second switch-up at the top of the card forced Moicano out of the fight.

Former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will face Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the UFC 317 main event. Topuria shared a gruesome prediction for the fight, promising to make Oliveira’s chin ‘explode’ when they meet in the Octagon.

Dariush returns after back-to-back losses to Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan in 2023. He hasn’t won since a unanimous decision victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280.