Saint Denis Gets Opportunity to Prove He’s Among the Best
Benoit Saint Denis showed his toughness well before he ever got in the octagon. The French fighter was a member of the 1st Marine Infantry Paratroopers, a part of the French Army Special Forces Command. Through his military service, Saint Denis saw combat in Mali and West Africa fighting terrorists.
Saint Denis has tried to channel that tenacity into becoming a top contender for the UFC lightweight championship. During Saint Denis’ last appearance at UFC 295 in November 2023, he knocked out Matt Frevola with a vicious head kick in the first round. Now, the No. 12-ranked Saint Denis is being given an opportunity to show he is a true contender.
At UFC 299, Saint Denis will get an opportunity to fight former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier. Poirier is ranked No. 3 in the weight class but is himself coming off a devastating head kick loss to Justin Gaethje.
This is an interesting fight because there was little incentive for Poirier to take it. Poirier is an established star, and a bad loss to Saint Denis could damage his long-term prospects. Saint Denis could cement himself as a new star, while Poirier hopes to remain in the title picture, according to MMA news sites.
From the Military to MMA
Saint Denis followed in his dad’s footsteps with a military career. An interest in combat sports developed after Saint Denis’ dad got him interested in judo. He left the army in 2019 and had his first professional fight in February 2019.
Saint Denis beat Marc Domont by technical submission to open his career. He would follow that up by running off seven straight victories to catch the attention of the UFC. Saint Denis’ fight in the UFC was a bit of a mess.
Saint Denis’ conditioning wasn’t great, and he faded by the third period against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. He would end up losing the fight despite Zaleski having a one-point deduction for a groin strike.
Loss Doesn’t Hamper Saint Denis’ Prospects
Saint Denis is still disappointed about his loss. But once Saint Denis got back into his weight class, results started piling up in the win column right away. During Saint Denis’ last five fights, he has been victorious each time and finished the fight early.
Having a fighter in the lightweight division with that type of finishing streak is something the UFC would like to push. The top five contenders feature a lot of entertaining fighters, but many of them are in the back half of their careers. Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Michael Chandler are all in the top five with Poirier.
All of those fighters are experienced and were either former champions or interim champions. If Saint Denis could stop Poirier and bring some fresh eyes to the division, Saint Denis may be on the fast track to a shot at champion Islam Makhachev.
Poirier Has Spent Five Years in the Title Picture
Poirier didn’t have the opportunity to be fast-tracked up the rankings. Poirier made a steady climb during his time in the WEC and the early part of his time in the UFC. But Poirier didn’t have an opportunity to fight for a championship until his 31st professional bout.
Poirier didn’t have an easy fight at UFC 236 in April 2019 when he fought Max Holloway for the interim lightweight championship. Holloway was coming up in weight to attempt to hold two belts at the same time. But Poirier held his ground.
He and Holloway engaged in a competitive fight where Poirier picked up the unanimous decision win to gain the interim title. Poirier’s time in the sun was short-lived. He lost his title unification bout five months later when he was submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov in the third round.
Rivalry with McGregor Keeps Spotlight on Poirier
Poirier will never be confused with being the showman that Conor McGregor is. But it is abundantly clear that Poirier cared much more about being involved with MMA than the Irish superstar. McGregor went off to a big-money boxing fight despite being a two-division champion in MMA.
Once McGregor returned, the UFC set him up with Poirier. Many people hoped that McGregor could dominate Poirier, as he did years earlier, to propel him to a title fight against Charles Oliveira. At UFC 257, Poirier threw cold water on that idea.
Poirier beat McGregor by TKO in the second round and would win the rematch six months later when the fight was stopped due to McGregor being injured. Poirier’s second shot at lightweight gold was spoiled when he was submitted by Oliveira in the third round, according to MMAfighting latest news.
Is Saint Denis For Real?
Fighters always have to prove they belong in the next tier of combat sports. It’s one thing to barge into a promotion and pick off lower-level opponents. Saint Denis has impressed fans and is now being given a shot against a tough fighter coming off a knockout, according to MMA news sites.
While Saint Denis has shown a serious finishing streak, he will have to prove he has the veteran savvy to keep the veteran Poirier on his toes. Poirier has spent the past half-decade battling the best the sport has to offer in his weight class. If Saint Denis thinks he can earn another early stoppage, he will need to have the perfect game plan.
Poirier is capable of winning and could find himself with one more shot at UFC glory. Saint Denis wants to become one of the first major stars of French MMA. This is a generational fight that could see a passing of the torch at the top of the division. Both men agreeing to this bout is a good sign for the sport, with veteran fighters giving people ranked much lower an opportunity to fight.
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