Former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has been applauded for taking on one of the division’s fast rising contenders in Benoit Saint-Denis tomorrow. Not much movement has occurred since his stunning second-round knockout defeat by Justin Gaethje last summer, but he knows he can’t afford to lose another non-title matchup at this delicate stage of his career.
Trial by fire: Five round co-main will test BSD
New blood or more of the same? Dustin Poirier [3] vs. Benoit Saint-Denis [12]
UFC 299 in Miami kicks off with early prelims at 11pm BST, tonight
Five-round lightweight co-main event — Ringwalks from 4.30am BST, Sunday
SEAN O’Malley’s maiden bantamweight title defence will be his toughest against former foe Marlon Vera, Gilbert Burns must fend off a hungry young contender after Petr Yan opens the main card looking to snap a three-fight losing streak.
Michael ‘Venom’ Page makes his UFC debut against perhaps the best possible opponent – for better and worse – in fan-friendly contender Kevin Holland and yet none of those four fights quite intrigue the same way a five-round co-main event between Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint-Denis quite does. MMA, everyone.
Since losing his promotional debut, and an 8-0 unbeaten record against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, the Frenchman is riding a five-fight win streak – all by stoppage.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know where I’m going with this, but such a big opportunity was thrust upon him with ample warning of the danger awaiting once that cage door closes this weekend. These matchups don’t happen often and especially when there’s such a discrepancy in ranking – nine spots – between them.
Thiago Moises and Matt Frevola, while credible opposition, haven’t sniffed the top-5 of what many deem the sport’s most ruthless weight class.
Poirier isn’t just in that bracket but lived there for several years, to the point he could be forgiven for quietly wondering if bound by a nearly-man championship curse.
Two months after Saint-Denis’ professional debut where he campaigned at middleweight in Switzerland, the Diamond won interim lightweight gold with a gritty UD5 (49-46 x 3) victory over former featherweight king Max Holloway.
The cumulative damage sustained from firefights like that is the same reason why many fear for Holloway against a concussive puncher in Justin Gaethje – another former interim champ – at UFC 300 next month especially given there’s a new sheriff in town at 145lbs after an unsuccessful Alexander Volkanovski trilogy.
Poirier fell agonisingly short vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov five months later and would’ve felt a sense of deja vu two years down the line as Charles Oliveira submitted him after weathering a first-round storm of pressure.
He was open about a reticence to fight Michael Chandler and almost lost their thrilling UFC 281 contest eleven months removed from that defeat, before eating a head kick even he graciously applauded post-fight in Salt Lake City last summer.
That’s perhaps the biggest question for Poirier, who turned 35 in January. How much does he have left? Saint-Denis is seven years younger, far less seasoned in his MMA career with only two of his 15 fights going a three-round distance. This is his first at the championship distance, so will that impact fight pacing and the strategy here?
“Islam needs fresh contenders, applaud Dustin for taking the challenge but we’re fatigued… same guys having those opportunities.
There are good guys on the way up like Arman Tsarukyan, Rafael Fiziev, Mateusz Gamrot who aren’t going to be positioned like Poirier and Gaethje on PPV cards because they lack that notoriety.
This fight is interesting because it’s time for the UFC to let the rising lightweights get close to the top rather than keeping them separate. You have veterans and prospects not being allowed to merge, this matchup is one of the first we’re getting that happening, that’s what will reinvigorate the division.”
- Dan Hardy’s thoughts on the division and Poirier-BSD, during our recent interview
Elsewhere on this PPV billing, the prelims is jam-packed with four fights that could each individually headline a Fight Night card, regardless of venue.
Rising heavyweight talent Jailton Almeida gets his toughest test against an unpredictable Blaydes, so how will his wrestling fare under duress?
Cerminara vs. Barber is a classic example of longtime contender vs. rising star, and Barber must maintain her form after stopping Amanda Ribas last time out.
Gamrot should prove too much for RDA, despite their difference in experience – though it’s not a foregone conclusion after dos Anjos’ recent competitive defeat against longtime contender Vicente Luque showed he’s still a live underdog.
Contender Series graduate Phillips rides a two-fight winning streak and gets a ranked opponent in Munhoz. How much does Pedro have left in the tank, aged 37?
UFC 299 card, is as follows
Main card
Bantamweight: Sean O’Malley (c) vs. Marlon Vera [5]
Lightweight: Dustin Poirier [3] vs. Benoit Saint Denis [12]
Welterweight: Kevin Holland [13] vs. Michael Page
Welterweight: Gilbert Burns [4] vs. Jack Della Maddalena [11]
Bantamweight: Petr Yan [4] vs. Song Yadong [7]
Prelims
Heavyweight: Curtis Blaydes [5] vs. Jailton Almeida [7]
Women’s flyweight: Katlyn Cerminara (nee, Chookagian) [4] vs. Maycee Barber [6]
Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot [6] vs. Rafael dos Anjos [11]
Bantamweight: Pedro Munhoz [12] vs. Kyler Phillips
Early prelims
Light-heavyweight: Ion Cutelaba vs. Philipe Lins
Middleweight: Michel Pereira vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Heavyweight: Robelis Despaigne vs. Josh Parisian
Flyweight: C. J. Vergara vs. Assu Almabayev
Women’s flyweight: Joanne Wood vs. Maryna Moroz
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes procured by me
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