Islam Makhachev will be facing Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in his third lightweight title defense but it appears the promotion had different plans set into motion.
Poirier was announced as the next 155-pound title challenger on the night of UFC 300, one month after his last win over Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299. Shortly after the announcement, reports surfaced stating that Arman Tsarukyan was first approached with the opportunity but turned down the fight due to its short-notice nature, and newer claims suggest Poirier was the company’s third option.
Benoit Saint-Denis’ Team Reveals He Was Expected to Fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 302
🚨 Benoit Saint-Denis' manager, Giom Peltier, reveals that if BSD had defeated Dustin Poirier at #UFC299 he would have fought Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at #UFC302 this weekend.
"Everything was already signed."
(via. @RMCsport) #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/BIJcSHAqM3
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 27, 2024
According to the France-based RMC Fighter Club, Benoit Saint-Denis’ manager, Guillaume ‘Giom’ Peltier, said his fighter was the original plan to fight for the UFC lightweight championship. Peltier claimed Saint-Denis had “already signed” a contract to fight Islam Makhachev and would have immediately been booked into the title shot had he beaten Dustin Poirier at UFC 299.
Translated to English from French, Peltier said:
It’s been two months since Benoit’s fight but it was already signed. Everything was signed. Was it too early? We stayed in our place and we took a defeat. We have to work on things. We’ll be back, no problem.
Entering the fight with Poirier, Saint-Denis was one of the hottest prospects in the division, riding a five-fight win streak with all of the victories in his career by knockout or submission. The ‘God of War’ entered UFC 299 with a no. 11 ranking and likely would have vaulted to no. 3 with a win.
While Poirier has been one of the UFC’s biggest stars for several years, he has slightly struggled of late, going 2-2 in his four fights since last challenging for the title. Regardless, timing and star power worked out for ‘The Diamond,’ leading to his third undisputed championship fight.
Before facing Saint-Denis, Poirier suffered a brutal knockout loss to Justin Gaethje that many initially believed permanently ended his title hopes. Gaethje, however, would be on the losing end of a knockout at UFC 300 at the hands of Max Holloway, putting the Louisiana native back in front of him.
Benoit Saint-Denis’ Injuries at UFC 299
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Benoit Saint-Denis arguably had the most momentum in the lightweight division heading into UFC 299 with a title shot supposedly on the other side of his fight. His success, however, would be thwarted by Dustin Poirier with a second-round knockout.
In the aftermath of the defeat, the Frenchman revealed a few medical conditions that he claimed to have hampered his performance. Some fans dismissed the claims as post-fight excuses, but the 28-year-old provided photographic evidence to back his claims.
As Ariel Helwani would share on the MMA Hour, Saint-Denis reported a staph infection limited him during fight week as he was supposedly forced to take antibiotics that the fighter stated made him lethargic.
About the Author
Jaren Kawada is a freelance sports writer from Indianapolis, Indiana with a strong passion for MMA and sports betting. Kawada has also written for Sportskeeda MMA, FanSided MMA, and BetSided as a combat sports analyst. Follow on X/Twitter at @jarenkawada1.
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