Joe Rogan wasn’t lying when he called Benoit Saint-Denis “next level” and suggested Dustin Poirier prepare his ass off for their matchup at UFC 299 this March.
While most should listen to Rogan based on his tremendous depth of experience and knowledge of the fight game, one look at Saint-Denis and it’s easy to see why the long-time UFC color commentator would send such a dire warning to “Diamond.” That’s because Saint-Denis is a physical specimen at 155 pounds and a real-life fighter of bad guys.
On Friday, video footage surfaced of Saint-Denis physically preparing himself for a his fight with Poirier. There wasn’t any sparring footage, but the sheer power, speed, and determination that the French lightweight is displaying should scare Poirier and most of his fans.
Check out Saint-Denis’ recent training session in the above video player.
Of course, Poirier is dangerous in his own right, but he’s coming off a tough knockout loss to Justin Gaethje last July and is really sticking his neck out there by offering to fight a lesser-ranked, fairly-unknown contender. It is a true risk for Poirier, but he’s doing everything he can to stay active to fight his way back to a potential UFC lightweight title shot.
If victorious at UFC 299, a win for Saint-Denis will launch him to the front of the line at 155 pounds. The former French Special Forces standout has already amassed an impressive 5-0 UFC lightweight record with five devastating finishes. A win over Poirier will be exactly what Saint-Denis needs to become one of the division’s scariest outs (as if he already isn’t one).
Thoughts?
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
