Dustin Poirier thinks he’ll take a big step towards the UFC lightweight title with a win over Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299.
Poirier most recently fought Justin Gaethje for the BMF title at UFC 291, where he was knocked out cold. ‘The Diamond’ is now gearing up for a showdown with Saint-Denis in what is turning out to be a highly-anticipated fight at UFC 299.
While some may see it as a step down for Poirier because he’s facing an opponent ranked eight places below him, Poirier believes it’s still a seriously tough challenge and a victory over the Frenchman will be worthy enough to earn him a title shot.
“I think a lot of that depends on how I win,” Poirier said during the UFC 299 media day. “If it’s a big finish or something like that, I believe I’m a win away from a title shot with a great performance. But, it rights the ship. It gets me back in the win column. We take it from there. I try not to look too far past these fights because Saturday isn’t here yet. We’ve got to go out there and do the damn thing. Sunday, we reassess and see really where we’re at and what’s next.”
Even though Saint-Denis isn’t among the top lightweight fighters, a win for Poirier will be a solid defense of his number 3 spot in the rankings. More so, it will be enough to silence his critics, who think he’s washed up. However, whether a win guarantees Poirier a title shot remains uncertain, especially with Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Arman Tsarukyan also in the mix.
Will Dustin Poirier come out on top against Saint-Denis at UFC 299?
