UFC 299: Dustin Poirier vs Benoit Saint Denis Prediction

What’s being billed as “The People’s Main Event” by a lot of MMA fans, is this co-main event bout between lightweight Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint-Denis. This is one of the most exciting upcoming UFC fights to look forward to so far in 2024 and there’s no doubt these two will deliver for the fans.

Poirier vs. Saint Denis Picks

• Pick: Poirier +175.

Continue reading for the official Poirier vs Saint Denis prediction before betting on this weekend’s event alongside our analysis of the scores and odds available.

Dustin Poirier vs Benoit Saint Denis Information

Dustin Poirier vs Benoit Saint Denis

Location of the fight: Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida, United States

Date and Time: March 09, 2024. 10 PM ET main card start

How to Watch: ESPN+ PPV

Last Fight Record

Poirier is looking to bounce back from a KO loss to Justin Gaethje for the BMF belt last July at UFC 291.

Saint-Denis is coming off a spectacular head-kick KO win over Matt Frevola at UFC 295 in November.

Dustin Poirier vs Benoit Saint Denis Betting Analysis

Dustin Poirier

Poirier is an American professional mixed martial artist with a record of 29-8, including 14 TKO/KO wins and 8 submissions. He is a former lightweight interim champion who has won 13 post-fight bonuses in the UFC. He also has five ‘Fight of the Year’ awards from top MMA publications. In the UFC, “The Diamond” holds the #3 ranking in the lightweight division.

Poirier is a 5’9” southpaw with a 72” reach at 35 years old. In the octagon, he averages 5.49 significant strikes landed and 4.30 absorbed per minute. He will also mix in wrestling, averaging 1.36 takedowns per 15 minutes, and has a modest 63% takedown defense.

Benoit Saint-Denis

Saint-Denis is a French mixed martial artist with a professional MMA record of 13-1, including 4 TKO/KO wins and 9 submissions. He is the #12 ranked UFC lightweight right now getting the biggest fight of his career coming off of five-straight finishes. Before signing with the UFC, he served as a Special Air Service operator in West Africa fighting terrorist groups.

Saint-Denis is a 5’11” southpaw with a 73” reach at 28 years old. So far in his UFC career, Saint-Denis averages 5.53 significant strikes landed and 5.20 significant strikes absorbed per minute. He adds a whopping 4.55 takedowns per 15 minutes and a 1.4 submission average as well.

Updates

The UFC or ESPN has not issued any injury reports.

Dustin Poirier vs Benoit Saint Denis Betting Preview

We will need to preview the betting lines and study the tape to make a correct Poirier vs Saint Denis prediction because this is one of the most interesting matchups of 2024 so far. Remember, this fight is 5 rounds as well.

The UFC fight odds have the former interim champion coming in at +175 underdog odds along with Saint Denis being the -205 betting favorite. The betting odds heavily favor this bout to end inside the distance at -550.

Their stylistic reputation in the octagon revolves around violence. Don’t sell Poirier short, though, he has been doing this for twice as long as Saint-Denis and against much better competition over a long time.

Poirier has turned into a slick southpaw boxer with good timing and has a lot of confidence in his hands at this stage of his career. He also has very good BJJ and wrestling in his back pocket, which he will need to use this weekend.

Saint-Denis is a sprinter in the octagon. Not because he runs around, he runs forward and doesn’t stop. Opponents could pose a challenge to this style over 25 minutes, especially if the fight enters the 4th and 5th rounds. He has very high-paced wrestling mixed with his Judo skills off the cage, a skill set he earned as a 16-year-old black belt in France.

Dustin Poirier vs Benoit Saint Denis Betting Prediction

Placing a big bet on the books makes UFC fight nights even more exciting. This weekend’s official Poirier vs Saint Denis prediction is that Poirier will get his hand raised. 

If this was a fight on the street, Saint-Denis would be the right choice, but this is MMA with rules and certain nuances that Poirier has mastered over the years. Making UFC picks like this proves to be the most difficult in all of sports betting because literally, anything can happen in that octagon.

The slick boxing and fight IQ from years of experience for Poirier is just too much to bet against right now. Even with the age, coming off a KO loss; Poirier deserves respect and oddsmakers are forgetting how good he is. Take advantage of those underdog odds.

• Pick: Poirier +175.

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