Even now, Dustin Poirier remains a superb lightweight. As the visage of Benoit Saint Denis attests.
At UFC 299 on Saturday, the lightweight sensation returned to winning ways with a furious second-round knockout that left the Frenchman sprawled on the canvas after a forceful right counter. The Miami audience, which is close to Poirier's training facility in South Florida and the American Top Team headquarters, gave its approval.
Look at that KO Dustin destroys BSD with the uppercut, followed by the right hook .. with one for good measure .. what a performance.. what a fight #UFC299 pic.twitter.com/OGPaX5pAIs
— 🐺 (@RedWolfMMA) March 10, 2024
Saint Denis assumed the aggressive role in the opening round, but he frequently had to sidestep Poirier's guillotine during his attacks. Poirier left no doubt in the second round, but the judges unanimously called the round for Saint Denis.
One of the greatest to ever do it @DustinPoirier 💎 #UFC299 pic.twitter.com/SYC5TmK2IB
— FaZe Nickmercs (@NICKMERCS) March 10, 2024
Poirier's hunger for a guillotine almost reached self-parody after he choked Saint Denis with an uppercut and then went for another choke instead of firing shots; during the fight, he declared, "I'll never stop doing it," but a few seconds later, he managed to go home.
It was a momentous occasion for one of the most well-liked competitors in the UFC. Poirier was not exactly in the mood for a rendezvous with a rising star in Saint Denis, having lost two of his previous three fights to top lightweights Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje. Rather, Poirier subsequently stated, he was the one returning the favor.
Saint Denis had won five straight fights going into UFC 299, all of which ended in the opening two rounds. Under Islam Makhachev, Poirier offered him an opportunity to move up to the top of the division's challenger rankings, but in the end, it was the 35-year-old veteran's night.
0 Comments