Former Interim Champ Poirier to Face Saint-Denis in UFC 299 Co-Main Event

Dustin Poirier, former interim UFC lightweight champion, is set to face Benoit Saint-Denis

UFC CEO Dana White announced Sunday that Poirier (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) will clash with Saint-Denis (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in a five-round bout on the March 9 card. The event will be held in Miami.

Poirier is coming off a submission win over Michael Chandler at UFC 281 in November. Saint-Denis, meanwhile, is riding a four-fight winning streak, most recently defeating Gabriel Green via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 217 in December.

The co-main event bout will be Poirier's first since losing to Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title at UFC 269 in December 2021. Poirier believes the 25-minute distance could give him the edge over Saint-Denis.

"I think the longer the fight goes, the better it is for me," Poirier said. "I'm a cardio machine and I'm always in shape. I think I can outlast him and get the finish late."

Saint-Denis is confident in his ability to defeat Poirier, despite the former champion's experience and実績.

"I know I'm the underdog, but I'm not afraid of Poirier," Saint-Denis said. "I've been training hard for this fight and I'm confident that I can win."

The UFC 299 main event will feature a heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Cyril Gane.