Dustin Poirier "finally going public" with potential fight cancellation "got him what he wanted," claims Ariel Helwani
After a brief scare, Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint Denis will indeed face off in a five-round co-headlining bout at UFC 299.
On February 1, Poirier shocked fans by announcing via social media that his much-awaited fight against Saint Denis at UFC 299 wouldn't go ahead because of unsuccessful contract negotiations.
But shortly after, the UFC lightweight apologized to his fans for a "misunderstanding" on his part and announced on X that the bout is back on.
''Sorry folks, I jumped the gun, I couldn't get a hold of my manager for a few days. I just spoke with him and Hunter. Misunderstanding on my part. Fight is on! See you March 9th Miami!!!"
Ariel Helwani posted on X in response to the news. According to the MMA journalist, Poirier likely secured a bigger payday by initially going public with the fight cancellation. Helwani wrote:
''No. Dustin finally going public got him what he wanted. That’s the biz. Good on him. Doesn’t change the fact that up until an hour ago he didn’t agree - remember he broke this story, no one else - and when this was announced almost a month ago he hadn’t agreed. No one is denying that BSD agreed, which his team has confirmed. (And this isn’t the only fight that falls under this umbrella …)''
In a post on X, UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns congratulated Poirier for the same, writing:
"Very happy for DP getting the bag he deserves!
Joe Rogan issues a warning to Dustin Poirier ahead of his fight at UFC 299
At UFC 299, Dustin Poirier will face a surging contender in the lightweight division. His opponent, the No.11-ranked Benoit Saint Denis, enters the octagon on a five-fight win streak and possesses potent finishing ability.
Adding to the anticipation for the bout is veteran commentator Joe Rogan, who issued a warning to Poirier on The Joe Rogan Experience, saying:
“That’s the big fight... That Saint Denis guy is a f**king killer. He’s such a killer. That guy is such a scary guy. He is good at everything. I’m telling you, that Benoit Saint Denis is next level. He’s got furnaces going on in his eyes. You look into that guy’s eyes, there’s hell going on behind those eyes. He’s built for it. So, him vs. Dustin is very exciting, and Dustin better be ready to go. He’s gonna be trying to make a name.”
After finishing Matt Frevola with a devastating head kick at UFC 295, Saint Denis now has a massive opportunity to enter the top five at lightweight with a matchup against Poirier at UFC 299.