"Respectfully, if you need an op" - Rising UFC lightweight offers to step in after Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis is off
Terrance McKinney has offered to step in and fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 299.
On March 9, the UFC will return to Miami, Florida, for a pay-per-view event featuring Sean O’Malley defending his bantamweight title in a rematch against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. The UFC 299 main event wasn’t the only reason to watch, as Poirier was surprisingly scheduled to fight rising superstar Benoit Saint-Denis.
Unfortunately, the fight between Poirier and Saint-Denis might not be happening. Earlier today, the MMA community was shocked when ‘The Diamond’ shared this message on X:
“My fights off but still working”
The Twitter comment section was filled with fans who were confused about what happened. Meanwhile, UFC lightweight McKinney saw a massive opportunity and had this to say:
“Respectfully, if you need an op”
McKinney later explained why he offered to fight Poirier by saying this on X:
“We only live once l'm really about this life & man our legends times are coming, an opportunity to compete against these beasts are running thin. Only a matter of time before all our favorite guys are gone so I gotta throw my name in the hat where I can.”
The initial rumors were that Saint-Denis was injured, forcing him to pull out of his UFC 299 bout against Poirier. Yet, combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani reached out to Poirier and received the following response about what happened:
“There was no contractual agreement before the fight was announced and we couldn't come to terms.”
Benoit Saint-Denis claims he’s still preparing for UFC 299 despite Dustin Poirier announcing their fight is off
Benoit Saint-Denis has been in training camp for nearly a month since the UFC announced he would take on Dustin Poirier. Although the fight has reportedly fallen through, Saint-Denis doesn’t seem worried about potentially being removed from the UFC 299 fight card.
Saint-Denis had this to say on X following Poirier’s announcement:
“Guys, stay calm, stay focused. I count the days until @ufc 299”
Saint-Denis lost his UFC debut against Elizeu Zaleski in October 2021. Since then, he’s emerged as a potential lightweight title contender by winning five consecutive fights, all inside the distance. Meanwhile, Poirier has solidified his legacy and continues to compete in action-packed battles inside the octagon.