Beneil Dariush has been named the 2024 recipient of the Forrest Griffin Community Award for his charitable work with the Shlama Foundation and Promise Child Ministries.
Beneil Dariush? Yeah, he’s the champ of the 2024 Forrest Griffin Community Award.
This award? It’s a big deal. It’s handed out every year during the International Fight Week. The Forrest Griffin Community Award? It’s chosen by none other than UFC CEO Dana White. It’s all about recognizing fighters who give back, who do good in their communities.
And this year, it’s all about Dariush. The announcement came on Saturday. Why him? He’s been doing amazing work with the Shlama Foundation and Promise Child Ministries.
Dana White was all praises for him. In a press release, he said, “Beneil does an incredible job giving back to his community.” He went on to add, “Beneil sets a perfect example of how athletes should use their platforms to raise awareness for the charitable causes they care about the most while helping those who are less fortunate. It’s an honor to present him with this award.”
So, what’s the Shlama Foundation? It’s a non-government organization. They fund “humanitarian aid and community projects that will promote the survival and prosperity of the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac people in their ancestral homeland.” Dariush, an Assyrian American, started working with them in 2018. He’s been raising funds and awareness for their mission.
And Promise Child Ministries? Dariush started working with them in 2019. He’s a devout Christian, and he’s been using his Performance Bonus checks to fund orphanages in Haiti.
How did Dariush react to the announcement? In his usual humble way.
He said, “Thank you UFC [and] Dana White. I’m humbled and honored to receive this. Praise the lord!”
The Forrest Griffin Community Award started in 2020. Dariush is the fifth winner, following Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, Giga Chikadze, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and his brother Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. He’ll be honored during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 27 in Las Vegas. And he gets a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice.