Dustin Poirier is undeniably one of the best fighters in UFC history, consistently maintaining a strong presence in the lightweight rankings. After a KO loss to Justin Gaethje last year, Poirier returned to the octagon at UFC 299 to face the rising force of Benoit Saint Denis.
Fans were skeptical about his chances of victory, despite Poirier never experiencing back-to-back losses in his career. To silence all the critics, as he has done before, Poirier delivered one of the best performances of his career, earning praise from numerous UFC superstars.
Dustin Poirier KO’s Benoit Saint-Denis
As the fight began, both fighters kept dueling it out with each other on a pretty even pace. Both Poirier and Saint Denis had their moments and landed effective strikes in the first 5 minutes, setting a competitive tone to the contest.
Poirier attempted several jumping guillotines on his opponent but was unable to secure a tight grip on any attempts, often finding himself on the bottom position against Saint Denis. As Round 2 progressed, Poirier connected with significant shots that caught Benoit’s attention.
Poirier ultimately knocked Saint Denis down with a left hook and sealed the victory with a powerful right hand as his opponent attempted to rise. True to his nickname “The Diamond,” Dustin thrived under the immense pressure to deliver against a formidable opponent.
Islam Makhachev lavishes praise on Dustin Poirier
After his spectacular knockout win, Poirier received his dues from the champion of his division, Islam Makhachev. After he suffered a tragic loss at the hands of Gaethje, it seemed as if the title was out of his reach and he’ll have to put on a lot of wins to get back where he was again.
But the manner in which Dustin wiped out such a dangerous opponent in Saint Denis has pushed Poirier back in the talks for title contention, being in line to face the long reigning king Islam Makhachev. The lightweight champion congratulated his potential future opponent and called his performance “very impressive.”
The future of the lightweight division promises to deliver more than ever with the likes of Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and more knocking on the doors of the champion.
