Benoit St. Denis is stepping into the Octagon with Dustin Poirier, and he’s as surprised as anyone about the mix-up. You heard that right.
He’s set to duke it out with Poirier in a five-rounder. This showdown’s happening at UFC 299 in Miami, come March 9.
Suddenly, there was a hiccup. Poirier hit social media, saying the fight was a no-go. But, plot twist – the fight’s back on! “Miscommunication,” says Poirier, clearing the air on X.
Poirier’s tight-lipped about the drama backstage. Yet, he’s stoked the fight’s happening.
St. Denis? He’s been in a whirlwind of confusion and hope. He dreamt of a top-tier fight, fingers crossed for Poirier.
“I thought I was gearing up for a brawl with a Top 10,” St. Denis spilled on The MMA Hour. He had his eyes on Beneil Dariush, but it was all up in the air. His manager’s playing chess with options, keeping St. Denis in the dark till things looked solid.
Then there’s Guilherme Cruz’s scoop. St. Denis’ coach, Daniel Woirin, was out of the loop on the Poirier fight. Dana White, UFC’s big boss, wasn’t having it. He clapped back at Cruz, sharing screenshots proving St. Denis knew about the fight.
St. Denis had the inside scoop the night before it was official. “We had the green light,” he said. But they kept Woirin in the dark to spare him the rollercoaster, in case plans fell through.
Dana White’s IG stories blew up with this drama.
St. Denis was caught off-guard by how quickly the fight was announced. Just 24 hours after shaking hands on it, the world knew.
He knows the score. Poirier’s the bigger name, wielding more clout with UFC. Politics, as usual.
“I’m not a big star like Poirier,” admits St. Denis. He’s still the new kid on the block, not used to the behind-the-scenes games. His plan? Keep knocking heads and climbing ranks.
March 9 can’t come soon enough for St. Denis. He’s ready to face Poirier, politics and all.