Former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier is set fo his return to the Octagon in the opening quarter of the year, booking a five round co-main event clash with surging division contender, Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 on March 9. from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
Poirier, the current number three ranked lightweight contender, most recently headlined UFC 291 back in July of last year in a symbolic BMF championship clash with fellow former interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje.
Suffering just his second knockout loss at the lightweight limit since his 2015 return to the division, in the form of a second round high-kick KO.
Dustin Poirier draws Benoit Saint Denis in UFC 299 comeback
As for Saint Denis, the number twelve ranked lightweight contender turned in a hellacious victory of his own back in November against Matt Frevola, scoring a similarly devastating first round high-kick knockout win.
UFC CEO, Dana White confirmed the booking of a lightweight clash featuring Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint Denis over the course of five rounds at UFC 299 in March.
IM BAAAAAAACK!!!
Two more fight announcements
#UFC299 5-round co-main, Poirier vs Saint-Denis#UFC300 Number one contender fight, Oliveira vs Tsarukyan pic.twitter.com/aSPZtGEnAT
— danawhite (@danawhite) January 8, 2024
1-2 in his last three Octagon walks, prior to his knockout loss to Gaethje, former interim champion, Poirier landed a third round rear-naked choke win over former title chaser, Michael Chandler at Madison Square Garden in late 2022.
Challenging for undisputed lightweight gold back at the end of 2021, Poirier dropped a third round standing rear-naked choke loss to former undisputed champion, Charles Oliviera.
UFC 299 takes place on March 9. from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, with an undisputed bantamweight championship fight between Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera slated to take main event honors in the promotion’s return to ‘The Sunshine State’.
Who wins at UFC 299 in March: Dustin Poirier or Benoit Saint Denis?