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If Benoit Saint Denis has his way, he will beat Renato Moicano this weekend to eventually set up a title fight with Islam Makhachev. However, his desire to become the UFC lightweight champion partially motivated an overwhelming need to avenge his loss to Dustin Poirier.
The Frenchman previously faced Poirier at UFC 299. Despite dominating round one of their affair, Saint Denis tired rapidly and was gasping for air by round two. Poirier subsequently knocked him out, and Saint Denis hasn't forgotten about the defeat, which was his first in nearly three years.
"I fought a warrior and the only way to get back to him is to get the belt from [Islam] Makhachev because the only thing [Dustin] Poirier doesn't have is the undisputed UFC belt."
Despite his eagerness for a rematch, Saint Denis is still pleased with the part he played in Poirier's own journey as a fighter.
"I'm very happy to be part of Dustin's journey as a fighter because he is a great fighter, but I want it back. I will work for it and I have a lot of work to do."
Check out Benoit Saint Denis' thoughts on his loss to Dustin Poirier (5:00):
Saint Denis' UFC run has been largely successful despite losing to Poirier. He had previously authored a five-fight win streak, finishing every single foe via either knockout/TKO or submission. In fact, when he first fought Poirier, he outwrestled 'The Diamond,' overpowering him on the mat.
Even Poirier, who has faced elite-level grapplers touted for their physical strength, described Saint Denis as 'pretty strong' in his post-fight interview.
Benoit Saint Denis was compromised in his fight against Dustin Poirier
Although his performance against Dustin Poirier was impressive in round one, Benoit Saint Denis began gasping for air after just five minutes. This, it turns out, was due to a staph infection crippling his gas tank. This was revealed by the Frenchman after the loss, to which Poirier did not take kindly.
If Saint Denis truly intends to avenge his loss to Poirier, he will have to move quickly given 'The Diamond's' recent flirtation with retirement. While Poirier has spoken of a retirement fight, it is unlikely he will wait for Saint Denis if the latter fails to reach him soon.
