Islam Makhachev Receives Title Shot Calls as Dustin Poirier’s UFC 299 Rival Benoit Saint-Denis Lays Out LW Plans

There is a new lightweight prospect in town, and his name is Benoit Saint-Denis. The French Mixed Martial Artist is on an impressive win streak at the moment and boasts a record of 13 wins with only one defeat. However, there is a tough challenge in front of him as he is set to square off at UFC 299 against Dustin Poirier.

The former interim champion is never an easy fight for anyone, and this will probably be the case for Saint-Denis. However, the Frenchman is not intimidated, quite the opposite. He recently went as far as to lay out his plans for the future after a win over Poirier.

Benoit Saint-Denis makes a bold prediction for UFC 299

Saint-Denis thinks he will breeze past the former interim lightweight champion and will compete against the best fighters the division has to offer. Amongst others, he expressed his interest in competing against the likes of Charles Oliveria, Islam Makhachev, and Justin Gaethje. Moreover, he also asserted that he would be able to defeat them with ease.

This scenario is not impossible as a win on the Miami PPV would almost certainly catapult him into the top 5 spots of the UFC lightweight rankings. All the opponents Saint-Denis is eyeing are up there and it will just be a matter of time until he can get his hands on one of them.

In a recent interview, the lightweight prospect said, “I try to train with as much intelligence as I can. I want to be a better fighter in every art of mixed martial arts. I want to submit [Charles] “Oliveira, I want to knock out Justin Gaethje, and I want to win a tactical fight against [Islam] Makhachev.”

Safe to say, Saint-Denis is not short of confidence. However, looking past someone like Poirier could be the predecessor to a rude awakening for the #12 ranked lightweight. But Joe Rogan may not consider it a far-fetched assertion, as he found the UFC star to be a legitimate threat to ‘The Diamond.’

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Joe Rogan weighs in on Saint-Denis

Saint-Denis is going into his UFC 299 bout as the underdog. Moreover, many fans and MMA pundits side with Poirier in this match-up. However, Rogan, on his podcast, asserted that ‘God of War’ is not the type of fighter to scoff at. The UFC commentator said, “That Saint-Denis guy is a f*king killer. He’s such a killer. That guy is a scary guy. I’m telling you, Benoit-Saint Denis is next level.” 

Even former interim lightweight title holder Justin Gaethje responded to Rogan and attested to his assertions as he said, “A young up-and-comer, obviously full of confidence, full of hunger, um not sleeping in silk sheets yet, Poirier is, I was.”

The aforementioned comments make the match-up more exciting than it already is. How do you see this one playing out? Share with us your predictions in the comments below.

Read more: Joe Rogan’s Cautionary Message for Dustin Poirier Could Come True Against Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299, Justin Gaethje Explains Why