SUMMARY
- Benoit Saint-Denis' MMA stats prove he is a threat to Dustin Poirier's legacy.
- UFC fighters are not underestimating Dustin Poirier in his fight against Benoit Saint-Denis.
UFC 299 features an absolute barn burner in the co-main event between Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint-Denis. The fight has gotten even more crucial since the speculation of Dustin Poirier possibly retiring after UFC 299.
On one hand, we have Dustin Poirier, who is the most experienced fighter in the UFC lightweight division. Every time Poirier enters the octagon it’s guaranteed violence.
On the other hand, French UFC lightweight Benoit Saint-Denis is arguably the brightest prospect in the division. With a MMA record of 13 wins and 1 loss, the God of War has finished all his UFC opponents except one. And surprisingly he is a favorite to beat the former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier. But, can he really pull off this upset win at UFC 299?
Dustin Poirier-Benoit Saint-Denis loss, MMA record and stats
Dustin Poirier - Benoit Saint-Denis stats
Dustin Poirier | Benoit Saint-Denis | |
29 | Wins | 13 |
8 | Losses | 1 |
14 | Knockout wins | 4 |
8 | Submission wins | 9 |
5 ft. 9 in. | Height | 5 ft. 11 in. |
72 inches | Reach | 73 inches |
Dustin Poirier is coming off a brutal loss to Justin Gaethje in his last fight. Gaethje knocked out Poirier with a head kick in round 2 of their BMF title fight. Prior to that fight, Poirier beat Conor McGregor twice and secured a decision win against Michael Chandler. However, he took a beating against Charles Oliveira before getting submitted in round 3.
Dustin Poirier is 35 years old. And now he will face a hungry 28-year-old UFC prospect who has 13 finishes in his 14 MMA fights. Benoit Saint-Denis suffered his first MMA loss in his UFC debut against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. And since then he has stacked up 5 finishes in his 5 UFC fights.
This fight is guaranteed to be a barn burner. However, who is going to get the job done at UFC 299?
Dustin Poirier vs Benoit Saint-Denis breakdown and prediction
There is a lot of hype behind Benoit Saint-Denis and rightfully so. He can knock his opponents out and he can finish his opponents on the ground. However, many fans are underestimating The Diamond in this matchup.
Dustin Poirier is one of the best boxers in UFC and he has a solid ground game even if he has been outgrappled by Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov in the past. The former interim champion should be able to stand his ground wherever the fight goes against Benoit Saint-Denis. However, Benoit Saint-Denis’ lack of experience can be an issue for him at UFC 299.
Benoit Saint-Denis has not fought against a high-ranked UFC lightweight. And that can be the biggest X factor in this fight. It’s very likely that Dustin Poirier will get the job done at UFC 299 by TKO. Well, if you don’t believe us let’s take a look at what UFC fighters think about this fight.
UFC and MMA personalities who have predicted Dustin Poirier to win at UFC 299 (in interviews with James Lynch):
Curtis Blades, Geoff Neal, Sean O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch, Sean Brady, Eryk Anders, Gerald Meerscheart, and many more
Dustin Poirier vs Benoit Saint-Denis prediction: Dustin Poirier wins by TKO