Despite his recent loss to Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier remains a top lightweight contender and is set to fight Benoit Saint Denis, an unproven but promising prospect, at UFC 299, with his coach Mike Brown stating that Poirier is comfortable taking on any challenge and is confident in the matchup.
Dustin Poirier is still a top lightweight, despite his recent loss to Justin Gaethje. He’s always on the brink of re-entering the title race.
His upcoming fight at UFC 299, however, raised eyebrows. Poirier’s opponent is Benoit Saint Denis, a promising but largely untested 155-pounder. Saint Denis lacks significant wins over top-10 ranked fighters.
Instead of climbing the ladder, Saint Denis gets to leapfrog to the front. He’s facing Poirier this Saturday.
Mike Brown, Poirier’s head coach, says they didn’t hesitate to accept the fight. Even though it’s high-risk and low-reward.
Brown gets the risk-reward thing. But Dustin, he says, has seen it all in his 30 UFC fights. He’s faced all kinds of matchups. So, for him, that stuff doesn’t matter anymore.
Dustin’s seen everything they can throw at him. He’s in a different place now. He’s still out to prove he can beat anyone on the planet. And he’s willing to fight anyone. It’s a tough challenge, but one Dustin’s comfortable taking.
After his loss to Gaethje, Poirier wasn’t keen on facing a slew of rising contenders. He even turned down a fight against Beneil Dariush. He just wasn’t “excited” about it.
Saint Denis hasn’t achieved as much as Dariush in the lightweight division. So, could Poirier be less motivated for this fight?
Brown calls Poirier a veteran like no other. This is his 30th UFC fight. He’s in the top 12 for victories or fights. He’s seen it all and isn’t afraid of a challenge. He’s never gone into a fight half-heartedly.
Poirier has amazing conditioning and power. With maturity, he’s gained more knowledge and skill. He’s a bad dude and can take anybody. They’re confident in the matchup.
Poirier’s résumé is filled with tough challenges. He’s left many broken bodies in his wake.
Brown says Poirier has proven his place in the division. The real question is where Saint Denis fits in the 155-pound hierarchy.
Saint Denis has an impressive résumé. He’s done what he’s supposed to do. He’s only lost once, at welterweight. He’s finished everyone he’s beaten. But he hasn’t fought fighters of Dustin’s caliber.
The real test will be when he steps up to fight top-tier athletes. Those questions will be answered on Saturday.
Brown has high praise for Saint Denis. He’s studied him to prepare Poirier for the fight.
Saint Denis hasn’t faced the same level of competition as Poirier. He has less experience than the former interim lightweight champion. But he’s demolished every lightweight the UFC has thrown at him. That’s why he’s getting this opportunity.
Saint Denis is a big finisher. He’s finished all his victories. He’s exciting, with power and submissions.
Brown admits he hadn’t watched Saint Denis closely before. But after studying more film, he was surprised. Saint Denis is super exciting and really fun to watch.