Dustin Poirier (29-8) and Benoit Saint-Denis (13-1-1) will share the UFC Octagon this weekend in a special 5-round co-main event of UFC 299 on March 9 inside Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
The former UFC interim Lightweight Champion will make his first walk to the cage after the devastating KO loss against Justin Gaethje last year. Meanwhile, Benoit Saint-Denis will look to make the most in arguably the biggest fight of his MMA career in Dustin Poirier.
The French fighter is 13-1-1 in his MMA career (5-1 in the UFC) and is currently on a five-fight winning streak. The only loss of his MMA career came in his UFC debut in October 2021 against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.
Height and reach difference between Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint-Denis
35-year-old Dustin Poirier and 28-year-old Benoit Saint-Denis is a fun fight for MMA fans. Both fighters match up stylistically against each other and are known to deliver exciting fights.
Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis 5-round lightweight fight is official at UFC 299 in Miami. Per Dana White #UFC #UFC299 pic.twitter.com/KlZG8MYB70
— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) January 8, 2024
Poirier has stated that he is excited to take on fresh prospects, and beating these young fighters fuels him with the feeling that he still belongs at the top of the division.
5ft 11in (180cm) tall, Saint-Denis will have a reasonable height advantage over Poirier, who stands at 5ft 9in (175cm). The French fighter will also have the reach advantage with 73in (185cm) over Poirier’s 72in (183cm) reach.
Poirier and Saint-Denis’ fighting style and losses
Both Poirier and Saint-Denis have a similar style of fighting. However, the rising lightweight relies more on his ground game than Poirier, who usually prefers to stand on his feet and trade punches.
The French fighter is coming off a vicious KO win over Matt Frevola and has finished his opponent in each of his last five fights. While he might not have the upper hand in striking, Saint-Denis is a real threat on the ground. Nine of his 13 career wins have come via way of submission. He is also a black belt in Judo.
Dustin Poirier has seen it all, from the most seasoned grapplers the world of mixed martial arts has to offer to the finest strikers that UFC Lightweight has ever seen; the Diamond has seen it all.