Benoît Saint-Denis says he cannot completely rule out the possibility of Dustin Poirier beating Islam Makhachev.
Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) will compete for the lightweight title against Makhachev (25-1 MMA) in the headliner of UFC 302 on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. , UFC 14 wins, 1 loss)
Poirier KO'd Saint-Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) to earn a chance against Makhachev and fell behind. The odds will be stacked against him again when he faces the UFC's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, but Saint-Denis believes “The Diamond” has the skills to pull off an upset.
“He's precise, rounded, calm,” Saint-Denis told MMA Junkie of Poirier. “He can weather any storm, has a lot of experience, is a tough guy. Nobody can give Poirier any chance of winning in a lightweight match. Of course, Makhachev is well-rounded. He will be well prepared. We know what game plan Makhachev will have against Poirier.
“It's very clear. He's going to try to follow (Nurmagomedov's) steps and Charles Oliveira's steps because that seems like the easiest path to winning against Poirier, but also Poirier. He'll work on that too. He's well-rounded and it'll be a great fight. He can do it, but of course the favorite is the champion.”
Poirier was not the first candidate for Makhachev's next title defense, but Poirier received the call after Arman Tsarukyan declined the opportunity on short notice.
Saint-Denis is not surprised that Poirier is that person.
“Not at all,” said Saint-Denis. “It's all about the calendar. If you look at who's booked, who's not booked, who's played who, age, placement, struggles, that's not unreasonable. There are a lot of players who deserve to win the title. But this time it was him. He did a great job, so it's no surprise.”
For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie's UFC 302 event hub.
The story originally appeared on MMA Junkie