Intriguing statistic puts into perspective Dustin Poirier's massive advantage in experience over UFC 299 opponent Benoit Saint Denis
Dustin Poirier is set to make his octagon return against Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299. The Louisiana native has been a staple of the UFC featherweight and lightweight divisions for over a decade and has a massive advantage over Saint Denis in terms of experience.
Poirier has been the interim UFC lightweight champion and has been a part of several high-profile fights during his storied MMA career. Saint Denis, on the other hand, is a relatively new name in the lightweight division.
A recent post by @MostlyMMA on X highlighted the massive difference in experience between Poirier and Saint Denis. According to the stats, Poirier was already a veteran of the sport with 30 professional fights on his record when the Frenchman made his professional MMA debut on Feb. 16, 2019.
See the post below:
Saint Denis entered the UFC as an undefeated fighter with an 8-0 record as a professional MMA fighter. The only loss of his MMA career came in his UFC debut against Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos. The 28-year-old has since amassed a five-fight winning streak. He defeated Matt Frevola in his most recent octagon appearance at UFC 295.
Dustin Poirier was waiting for an opponent that would get him 'nervous and excited' to fight before UFC 299 announcement
Dustin Poirier suffered a knockout loss in his last fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 291. However, 'The Diamond' is still the No.3-ranked lightweight. His decision to accept the fight against a relatively inexperienced Benoit Saint Denis, who is ranked outside the top 10, seems to have raised a lot of eyebrows.
A few weeks before the Poirier vs. Saint Denis fight was announced, Poirier shed light on his situation in the competitive sphere of MMA and said:
“I’m in a weird spot. This is the first time I’m in this position in my whole career: Still at top but kind of waiting for something big to happen.”
He added:
“Waiting for something to really pop out that I know. I was kind of in this position before the Gaethje fight, but when they called and said Gaethje, it got me nervous and excited to fight. When I hear a name that does that to me, then I’ll know.”
Watch Poirier make the statement below (1:10):
UFC 299 will take place on March 9, 2024, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Poirier and Saint Denis will meet each other in the five-round non-title fight which is expected to be the co-main event.