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Five Benoît Saint Denis Fights To Watch Before UFC 299
Before Benoît Saint Denis Faces Dustin Poirier At UFC 299, Check Out How The Frenchman Earned His Way To The Co-Main Event Slot In Miami
Few lightweights have ascended through that shark pit of a division quicker or more flawlessly than Benoît Saint Denis. The 28-year-old Frenchman is a perfect 5-0 in lightweight contests since joining the roster, and has never dropped a lightweight fight in 11 professional outings at 155 pounds.
The former paratrooper stepped in on short notice for his UFC debut opposite Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at UFC 267 in a welterweight contest, and although he dropped that fight via decision, he has shown himself as one of the most dangerous fighters at lightweight.
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As he prepares to face former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier in a five-round co-main event, take a look at what the “God of War” has done in the Octagon thus far:
Vs Niklas Stolze
In Saint Denis’ first lightweight contest in the Octagon, he mauled his way to a dominant, submission victory. From the jump, Saint Denis dove on takedowns and pressured Stolze constantly, giving little to any time for his opponent to get into the rhythm of the fight. Despite a deep cut under his left eye, Saint Denis stayed on the front foot before securing a nasty submission win.
Vs Gabriel Miranda
UFC’s first fight night in Paris quickly became a legendary one to remember, and Saint Denis got the capacity crowd going with a banger of a bout with Gabriel Miranda. The two got to it right away, and after Saint Denis landed a brutal kick to Miranda’s body, the grappling scrambles followed. Saint Denis led the dance on the ground, landing solid ground-and-pound, and as the first round came to a close, Saint Denis nearly finished Miranda with a barrage of strikes. He would only need a few more seconds in the next frame to set the crowd on fire, becoming the first of the French contingent to secure a win in Paris.
Vs Ismael Bonfim
Saint Denis faced Bonfim in a prospect versus prospect bout and quickly distinguished himself as someone to watch. After blasting a bevy of body kicks, Saint Denis chained takedown after takedown together to wear down the Brazilian. Late in the first, he took Bonfim’s back before cranking another submission win in his favor.
Vs Thiago Moisés
To follow up his Performance of the Night in September 2022, Saint Denis returned to Paris, promising an all-action type of bout that would land him on the periphery of the Top 15. Saint Denis and Moisés went to war for nearly 10 minutes of striking exchanges and grappling scrambles before Saint Denis overwhelmed Moisés to earn yet another win in front of his countrymen.
Vs Matt Frevola
Fighting on a pay-per-view main card for the first time against an opponent who had the New York City crowd behind him, Saint Denis quickly proved he was a contender to watch. The pair got to the action quickly, and as Frevola peeled away from Saint Denis along the fence, Saint Denis launched a head kick that sent a statement to everyone in the lightweight Top 10.
UFC 299: O'Malley vs Vera 2 took place live from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on March 9, 2024. See the final Prelims & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
