Mateusz Gamrot isn’t very happy with the lightweight Top 15 even though Gamrot has a win over Tsarukyan Gamrot apparently offered his service but was denied It’s not all bad news for Gamrot. “Gamer” is currently scheduled to face the unranked Ludovit Klein in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 107 later this month Klein is unbeaten since moving back up to 155 pounds UFC lightweight contender Benoit Saint-Denis was set to battle Joel Alvarez on the UFC 315 main card on May 10 Alvarez withdrew due to an undisclosed injury Saint-Denis is unlikely to face a last-minute replacement The French fighter aims to rebound from back-to-back TKO losses in 2024 which is a stark contrast from his earlier dominance Saint-Denis is currently the number 13 ranked fighter in the lightweight division who was going to take on the 15th ranked Alvarez This cancellation disrupts his chance to regain momentum on a stacked pay-per-view card headlined by Belal Muhammad defending his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena 🇫🇷 🇧🇷 Mauricio Ruffy calls out Benoit Saint-Denis after Joel Alvarez pulled out due to injury."Hey, UFC! How about a main event at a Fight Night against Saint Denis?"The fight was scheduled for May 10th 😱 pic.twitter.com/bTv8bkHehE Also Read: “I Should Be Fighting a Top-5 Opponent Next”- Arman Tsarukyan on Feeling Disrespected by the UFC. Amid the uncertainty, a rising lightweight has stepped up. Mauricio Ruffy, a Dana White’s Contender Series standout, called out Saint-Denis on X hours after Alvarez’s exit. He tweeted, “Hey, UFC! How about a main event in a Fight Night against Saint Denis?” eyeing a clash against the No.13 ranked contender. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pedro Baptista (@crashmma) which is highlighted by a stunning spinning wheel kick knockout of King Green at UFC 313 in March 2025 Ruffy’s unbeaten streak (in the UFC) and flair makes him a compelling option and that could potentially set the stage for a thrilling lightweight showdown if the UFC decides to greenlight his challenge Also Read: UFC Fight Night Results – Reinier de Ridder Derails The Bo Nickal Hype Train With A Nasty Liver Shot!!! Get the biggest stories delivered straight to you - for free you consent to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy nad to receive marketing and account-related emails from The Playoffs The Playoffs has been a go-to source for sports and sports betting enthusiasts Our mission: To help bettors make the best choices with in-depth analysis Our motto: Share our passion for sports and betting our editorial teams work to deliver the most accurate and relevant information so you can place bets with confidence—and most importantly and understand that betting is a form of entertainment—not a way to earn money If gambling stops being enjoyable or starts affecting your life negatively don’t hesitate to seek support or take advantage of self-exclusion tools provided by betting platforms responsible betting is the key to a safe and enjoyable gaming experience DISCLAIMER: This site is 100% for entertainment purposes only and does not involve real money betting COPYRIGHT © 2025 - THE PLAYOFFS - SHARE THE PASSION FOR SPORTS AND BETTING UFC lightweight contender Benoit Saint-Denis was supposed to face Joel Alvarez on the UFC 315 main card on Saturday in Montreal. But just days before the event, Alvarez reportedly withdrew due to an undisclosed injury and Saint-Denis isn’t expected to get a short-notice replacement opponent That leaves Saint-Denis in an uncomfortable spot as he looks to bounce back from consecutive TKO losses in 2024 The French brawler was on a roll leading up to his current skid with a flurry of knockouts that catapulted him into the lightweight Top 15 Saint-Denis might not get the opportunity to kick off the UFC 315 main card after all but an intriguing name is in the mix to face him after a recent callout Saint-Denis remains one of the most dangerous contenders in the lightweight division and has asserted himself as a UFC star Saint-Denis hadn’t lost back-to-back fights in his combat sports career As we await clarity on Saint-Denis’s status for UFC 315 from the UFC brass a potential replacement opponent made his presence known on social media just hours after Alvarez’s pullout In a recent post to X, UFC lightweight Mauricio Ruffy sent a message to UFC CEO Dana White and the matchmakers How about a main event in a Fight Night against Saint Denis?” Ruffy posted Saturday Ruffy most recently defeated King Green with a ridiculous head-kick knockout at UFC 313 in March as the Dana White’s Contender Series alum has won all three of his Octagon bookings As of this writing, Saint-Denis hasn’t responded to Ruffy’s post. Saint-Denis most recently fell to Renato Moicano at UFC Paris in September Ruffy is quickly ascending the lightweight ranks and is knocking on the door of a potential spot in the Top 15 A win over an opponent of Saint-Denis’s caliber would almost certainly catapult him into the rankings Benoit Saint-Denis was a relatively unknown lightweight prospect entering UFC 295, but left the legendary Madison Square Garden with the win of his life, which earned the attention of UFC superstar Dustin Poirier Saint-Denis and New York hometown hero Matt Frevola helped kick off the action at UFC 295, on a card that was originally headlined by Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic and the undercard fights had more pressure to deliver after the changes Saint-Denis confronted the pressure head-on passing what was at the time the toughest test of his UFC career with flying colors Saint-Denis faced some early adversity against Frevola as his opponent successfully notched a big takedown in the opening seconds of the fight was able to work his way back to his feet quickly As the two rival lightweights returned the fight to their feet Saint-Denis had Frevola on the back foot and landed a massive head kick that knocked Frevola out cold It was an earth-shattering highlight that shocked the crowd at Madison Square Garden Saint-Denis’s victory at UFC 295 not only earned him a spot in the lightweight Top 15 but also quickly drew the attention of Poirier and the UFC matchmakers he’d co-headline a UFC pay-per-view at UFC 299 against Poirier in a bout that lived up to lofty expectations Check out Saint-Denis’s wild finish against Frevola below Benoit Saint-Denis has two kicks that he plays off of one another: Middle Kick: Constantly ripping at the body's open side High Kick: Targeting the head, often used to punish a fleeing opponent. Caught Frevola 👇🏼pic.twitter.com/0Igb6AcWF6 — Liam Picks Fights (@LiamPicksFights) September 27, 2024 Luckily for Saint-Denis, he won’t have to wait long to potentially get back on track after his consecutive knockout losses. Saint-Denis is set to return against promising lightweight Joel Alvarez at UFC 315 next weekend in Montreal Saint-Denis is always a dangerous puzzle to solve and he’ll look to get back into the lightweight title mix with a victory at UFC 315 Renato Moicano (19-5-1 fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida, by way of Brasilia, Brazil) vows to take the win as he enters enemy territory. Moicano boasts a three-fight win streak with victories over Calvin Kattar, Cub Swanson and Drew Dober since joining UFC. Moicano now has sights on adding Saint Denis to his résumé.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dana White (@danawhite) France) returns to his home country after the biggest bout of his career where he locked horns in a Fight of the Night battle with UFC veteran Dustin Poirier Now Saint Denis makes his UFC main event debut this September The French fan favourite looks to increase his wins to six inside the Octagon® as he targets a dominant defeat over Moicano.  France) hopes to keep his momentum going following a statement win over former title challenger Jared Cannonier Nassourdine now hopes to take out rising star Allen in emphatic fashion Louisiana) has wasted no time turning heads since joining UFC’s roster in 2019 Allen is now gunning to earn his first UFC title opportunity with another dominant performance.  Media accreditation is now open for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MOICANO vs SAINT DENIS, please click here to apply for the event Visit UFC.com for information and content to support your UFC coverage All bouts are live and subject to change.  Go Through All The Heavyweight Title Winners In UFC History Dana White's Contender Series Returns As Prospective Fighters Fight For A UFC Contract In Front Of UFC President Dana Who Will Be The First Middleweight To Advance To The Finals Joel Alvarez won’t be fighting at UFC 315 “El Fenomeno” announced Sunday via Instagram that a hand injury has forced him out of his lightweight fight with Benoit Saint Denis, which was scheduled to take place at this Saturday’s pay-per-view event at Bell Center in Montreal. News of Alvarez’s withdrawal was first reported by MagicM A post shared by Joel Álvarez (@joelelfenomenoalvarez) he has suffered a hand injury that he expects will restrict his training for three weeks He did not give a timetable for when he plans to compete next It is not yet known if his bout with Saint Denis will be scheduled for another date if a new opponent will be sought for Saint Denis for Saturday or if both fighters will receive new opponents at a later date Alvarez (22-3) is on a three-fight win streak and has won seven of his past eight fights All 22 of his pro victories have come by way of knockout or submission The same is true of Saint Denis (13-3-1, 1 NC). The French fighter has 13 finishes to his name, though he is currently on a two-fight skid after losses to Renato Moicano and Dustin Poirier Behind a savage first-round beating, Renato Moicano defeated Benoît Saint Denis by doctor's stoppage after two rounds Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Paris Moicano denied the rabid fans at the Accor Arena a reason to celebrate ravaging Saint Denis from the opening bell with vicious ground-and-pound Although Saint Denis survived the first round his face was bloodied and battered with both eyes swelling at a rapid pace The Frenchman made a better account for himself in the second round but the early beating he absorbed had already taken its toll With Saint Denis' right eye swollen shut and his left eye not too far behind the cageside doctor stepped in before the start of the third round and urged the referee to stop the fight due to Saint Denis' inability to see out of his right eye 12-5 UFC) entered the fight as the UFC's No 11-ranked lightweight and picked up his fourth straight win he sent a message to the lightweight division "I want easy money -- Paddy Pimblett and Dan Hooker," Moicano said Everybody was talking about Benoît Saint Denis A loud and supportive crowd had been festive the entire night until Moicano's stunning opening round Moicano opened the fight as the aggressor and swooped in for a takedown just seconds into the fight used a body triangle to transition to full mount and slammed elbows and punches into the Frenchman's head Accor Arena fell nearly silent as Saint Denis suffocated underneath Moicano's heavy top control Wearing a crimson mask over a face that was quickly turning purple from the bruising 5-3 UFC) sought to change his fortunes in the second round and made a good account for himself with his striking But Moicano remained patient and worked behind the jab as both of Saint Denis' eyes began to swell shut it was clear the damage from the first round had piled up Saint Denis desperately tried to continue fighting but the doctor made the call to end the fight when the Frenchman was unable to see Saint Denis, who is out of the Bayonne region in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France, has dropped consecutive fights for the first time in his career. He lost by knockout to Dustin Poirier in March and will likely drop in the lightweight rankings after the beating he took from Moicano NEW YORK – Benoit Saint-Denis is whom Mauricio Ruffy wants to meet in the octagon for his next UFC outing Ruffy, one of the most promising rising fighters at 155 pounds, called out the gritty veteran following his victory at Saturday's UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden 0-3 UFC) in a unanimous decision that served as the opener of the pay-per-view main card and a step fans would very much enjoy in his career "The guy is coming off two losses and people are looking at me and starting to point the finger and say 'This guy is coming up,'" Ruffy said at the UFC 309 post-fight press conference A lot of people online and on social media would like that fight to happen Ruffy hasn't had an easy road to get to the octagon The Fighting Nerds product was supposed to fight Charlie Campbell on Saturday but his rival withdrew from the fight days away from the event Llontop ended up stepping in on short notice "It's been a mix of learning experiences," Ruffy said "You talk about six months: six months of camp six months of getting prepared for fights that didn't happen but I do want to thank the UFC for the opportunity to be here at a card in Madison Square Garden I learned a lot and I took a lot from these experiences." Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 315 main event Henry Cejudo: Unlike Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dominick Cruz failed to adjust to injury-riddled UFC career Rob Font reveals surprising name UFC first offered for Seattle replacement opponent For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 309 February 19 when he dropped a huge announcement that included the unveiling of 14 fights across three events Two of those championship fights landed on UFC 315: welterweight champion Belal Muhammad will defend his title against Jack Della Maddalena Valentina Shevchenko will defend her title against Manon Fiorot.  Just when you thought UFC 315 couldn’t get any better another compelling fight has been added to the May 10 card First reported by Álvaro Colmenero we have Joel Álvarez and Benoît Saint-Denis set for a clash at UFC 315 This fight has "Somebody’s going to sleep" written all over it "El Fenomeno" Álvarez is riding a red-hot streak including a recent TKO finish over Drakkar Klose.  The Spanish finisher has shown time and time again proving he’s a submission specialist with growing striking skills "God of War" Saint-Denis has won three of his last five but is looking to bounce back after a two-fight skid including a doctor’s stoppage loss to Renato Moicano in Paris Saint-Denis is known for his resilience and pressure making him a tough matchup for anyone at 155 pounds they’ve racked up 12 finishes in their victories making it high and likely that someone isn’t making it to the scorecards.   it could be a highly competitive bout with significant divisional impact and their styles suggest an exciting and closely contested fight playDC and Chael excited for Moicano-Saint Denis main event (2:23)Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen are pumped for an epic main-event fight between Renato Moicano and Benoit Saint Denis Renato Moicano meets Benoît Saint Denis in the lightweight main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday afternoon in Paris All of the fights at Accor Arena are on ESPN+ Moicano (19-5-1) has won three fights in a row, most recently a second-round TKO of Jalin Turner in April Saint Denis (13-2-1) is coming off a second-round KO loss to Dustin Poirier in March Check back here on Saturday for fight coverage Watch all of the fights on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here There's also FightCenter which offers live updates for every UFC card UFC Fight Night: Expert picks and best bets for Moicano vs. Saint Denis UFC real or not: Moicano-Saint Denis winner ready for lightweight elite? Renato Moicano, Benoit Saint Denis to headline UFC Paris A Lightweight firefight has been added to UFC 315 No. 13-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight, Benoit Saint Denis, will put his ranking on the line against red-hot Spanish standout KOlmeneroMMA was the first to report the good news The French fighter holds a 100 percent rate with nine submissions and four knockouts Like “BSD,” Alvarez (22-3) also boasts a 100 percent finish rate, with 17 submissions and five knockouts, and has looked absolutely stellar in his UFC career (other than getting absolutely destroyed by Arman Tsarukyan back in 2022) “El Fenomeno” is riding a three-fight win streak with victories over Marc Diakiese This fight will be violent ... for along as it lasts To checkout the entire UFC 315 fight card click here Benoit Saint Denis is no stranger to conflict what Saint Denis now calls war takes place inside the UFC Octagon where he’ll battle in-form Brazilian contender Renato Moicano in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs and UFC fans watching from around the world ‘The God of War,’ it comes from my brothers,” he said Order UFC 307: Pereira vs Rountree Jr. “I chose it because I’ve been doing war since I'm 18 I've been going to the French Special Forces with 10 percent of people making it (through) I was very proud of this first part of my career a young Saint Denis was involved in war of a very real kind I was fighting against terrorism in sub-Saharan Africa We had the protection of our president in 2016 when he came by after we pushed back the terrorists from Timbuktu.  Get Ready For UFC's Return To Paris With Our Fight By Fight Preview! “It was an intense life (that) I’m very proud of and I’m very happy about the adventure I live now and I cannot wait to write one more page.” That page will feature a fight poster with his face on it as Saint Denis headlines on home soil in France It’s a far cry from the early days of his MMA career which began while the sport was still banned in his homeland Switzerland in a fight he won via first-round technical submission despite having to make sure he always packed his passport along with his gumshield every time he departed for a fight Saint Denis hit the road as he compiled an 8-0 record that saw him reach his goal of becoming a UFC fighter and in 2019 I started my professional career – no amateur circuit despite being French and not being able to represent my country.  MORE UFC PARIS: Main Event Spotlight | Last Time In Paris | Prospect To Watch | Fighters On The Rise because it's the accomplishment of teamwork my manager and my family that have been giving me time to fight often to get on the UFC radar and to be able to fight in the UFC in 2021 to be able to start from a fight in Switzerland for 300 Euros to being the main event of UFC Paris some years later.” Saint Denis fell to his first career loss as he was edged out on the scorecards by Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos in his Octagon debut at UFC 267 and he reeled off five straight finishes to surge into the lightweight rankings and earn him a marquee matchup with former interim lightweight champ Dustin Poirier at UFC 299 After starting well against “The Diamond,” the wily American veteran turned Saint Denis’ aggressive approach against him as he eventually stopped the Frenchman in the second round after a wild firefight that deservedly earned both men Fight of the Night bonuses View Saint Denis' Athlete Profile Saint Denis came away with valuable lessons learned that he plans to take into his upcoming fights “You have to have a clear mind and be a happy man in life to be a good fighter,” he stated “This is very clear to me after this fight And I think when you have this much success and you have to manage to a lot of stuff that you don't manage usually – a lot of energy that is difficult to carry when you don't have experience A lot of fighters talk about having a clear mind there are so many eyes and so many people counting on you and I think I didn't manage to have a clear body and clear mind when I came to this fight and the only way to get back to him is to get that belt from Makhachev because the only thing Poirier doesn’t have is the undisputed UFC belt I'm very happy to be a part of Dustin’s journey as a fighter But I have a lot to do and a lot to prove to a lot of people it’s going to be hell for the other fighter.” The bout with Moicano isn’t just another step on the journey for Saint Denis it’s a matchup of real significance in the UFC’s 155-pound division with Moicano and Saint Denis listed 11th and 12th Moicano’s resume speaks volumes of the quality of fighter Saint Denis will find himself facing this weekend the way you engage and the way you are promoting fighting in the UFC and mixed martial arts globally that will give you the opportunity to rise It’s a main event matchup that looks set to thrill the French fight fans as the larger than life Brazilian with a penchant for submissions takes on France’s own “God of War,” whose 100 percent finish rate suggests fans can expect a crowd-pleasing battle when the main event hits the Octagon on Saturday night This is what the UFC wants,” said Saint Denis “The UFC wants a banger with this Moicano fight – and they will have it.” Las Vegas Features Fight Nights Going Down In UFC APEX Between UFC 307 And UFC 308 former French special forces operative Benoit Saint-Denis appeared to be seeing some success on the feet in the second On the advice of the ringside physician, the highly anticipated main event fight was sadly, but understandably, waved off as the doctors became concerned that the already significant swelling suffered by Benoit Saint-Denis could be hiding some more severe injuries After dragging the ‘God of War’ to the ground, Renato ‘Money’ Moicano kept busy as he landed brutal elbows and punches from the top position; with several particularly vicious strikes landing around both eyes of the Frenchman throughout the opening round Despite all three judges scoring the second for Saint-Denis they couldn’t do anything as the fight was taken out of their hands: with the swelling around his eyes being too severe for the UFC doctors to allow the fight to continue Speaking to Michael Bisping in the octagon following the fight being waved off an understandably emotional Benoit Saint-Denis thanked the Paris faithful for their unwavering support as he noted that he felt ‘sleepy’ in the opening round “A big thank you to everyone for your support it was absolutely unbelievable to be here… Unfortunately in that first round I came out and I was a little bit sleepy and it allowed him to do enough damage to then play the Matador in the later rounds so I’m sorry for that.” OMG!!! Benoit Saint Denis has a Massive cut over his right EYE ‼️‼️‼️ #UFCParis Should they stop the fight??? 👀😬 pic.twitter.com/ZSoPv9I7z9 The ‘God of War’ promised the Parisian crowd that he’d be back “stronger” next time around and that whilst he’s “sorry for that performance Saint-Denis has now taken to social media to once again thank his fanbase and to acknowledge that injuries like those he suffered in Paris last night are simply part and parcel of the sport “Not my day, this sport is hard but amazing,” he wrote via his Instagram page. “Thank you all for your unwavering support. Proud to represent France in the octagon at home. Respect to my opponent for facing me at home and congratulations to him. “God puts challenges in our path and this one is nothing compared to what I’ve experienced.” Given the severity of the swelling, Saint-Denis will likely be out of action until early 2025 but when the ‘God of War’ does decide to return to the battlefield, he could do so with Moicano in support. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Benoît"God of War"Saint Denis (@benoitst_denis) Whilst Moicano is known for being one of the best trash-talkers in the game, the fan-favorite Brazilian would also show respect to Saint-Denis for fighting through such nasty-looking injuries at the post-fight press conference I really respect Benoit Saint-Denis [because] what he did in this division – I think he’s very strong he’s young but I think he needs to work on his game because usually what makes him dangerous is what makes him vulnerable he’s going to break you; but if he cannot touch you it’s easy to see [strikes coming] and watching his fights the way he stands up and swipes fighters always going 100%.” Moicano stated that the fight in Paris went exactly how he and his team planned and even invited Benoit Saint-Denis to train with him for his next fight “I was talking to my coach about once I got this guy down he’s going do everything to swipe me and he’s going to gas out and that’s what happened “I invite Benoit Saint-Denis to my gym to train with us and I guarantee he’s going to be another fighter; he needs to get out of his comfort zone in my opinion but he’s a great fighter.” Moicano currently trains out of American Top Team alongside the likes of possible future opponent Mateusz Gamrot, as well as the likes of Jorge Masvidal, Alexandre Pantoja, and even Saint-Denis’ former opponent Dustin Poirier Lightweight Benoît Saint Denis Speaks With Michael Bisping After His TKO Loss To Renato Moicano At UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Saint Denis On September 28 Following an entertaining preliminary card slate where two of the three French competitors earned victories the home side had far more success as we progressed to the main card before a veteran Brazilian took the air out of the building to end the evening Here's how the judges scored every round at UFC's return to Paris:  Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: Chris Duncan defeats Bolaji Oki by technical submission (guillotine choke) at 3:34 of Round 1 | Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: Jacqueline Cavalcanti defeats Nora Cornolle by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: Daniel Barez defeats Victor Altamirano by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | Main Card Results | Prelim Results Official Result:  Taylor Lapilus defeats Vince Morales by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: Ludovit Klein defeats Roosevelt Roberts by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) | Main Card Results | Prelim Results Official Result: Oumar Sy defeats Da Woon Jung by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) | Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: Ion Cutelaba defeats Ivan Erslan by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: Farès Ziam defeats Matt Frevola by by knockout (knee) at 2:59 of Round 3 | Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: Morgan Charriere defeats Gabriel Miranda by knockout (left hand) at 0:27 of Round 2 | Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: Bryan Battle defeats Kevin Jousset by TKO at 3:47 of Round 2 | Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: William Gomis defeats Joanderson Brito by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) | Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: Nassourdine Imavov defeats Brendan Allen by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) | Main Card Results | Prelim Results  Official Result: Renato Moicano defeats Benoît Saint Denis by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 2 | Main Card Results | Prelim Results UFC Lightweight Scott Holtzman Plans On Finishing His UFC Career With A Win Over Clay Guida At UFC Fight Night: Thomp It Only Took “Poatan” Three UFC Fights To Get His Shot At The Title Ascending talents Fares Ziam and Morgan Charriere earned consecutive knockout victories to open up the up main while William Gomis and Nassourdine Imavov got things moving in the right direction again for the French athletes after Bryan Battle bested Kevin Jousset Renato “Money” Moicano was too much for Benoit Saint Denis earning his fourth straight victory to close out the show It was an outstanding night of action in “The City of Lights,” and we have all the details from what transpired inside the Octagon collected for you below Prelim Results | Official Scorecards  Fares Ziam opened the main card by bringing the partisan crowd at Accor Arena to their feet, finishing off a dominant effort against Matt Frevola with a stunning third-round knockout win The 27-year-old “Smile Killer” was the sharper picking at a somewhat hurried and wild Frevola from range while showing his continued developments on the ground at times as well Just when it looked like the fight would go the distance Ziam connected with a long knee to the jaw from a back waist lock position that put Frevola out in an instant This was easily the best performance of Ziam’s career and another indication that the French lightweight is a rising star in the division He’s now 6-1 over his last seven outings and riding a four-fight winning streak and he keeps getting better every time out Prelim Results | Official Scorecards Morgan Charriere has a thing for fighting in front of the home crowd in the UFC For the second straight event in Paris, “The Last Pirate” kicked up a knockout win, starching Gabriel Miranda with a mean left hook as the two broke from a clinch The Brazilian tried to deliver a reverse kick that split the wickets and as Miranda turned back to see his opponent A massive fan favorite in his home country the 28-year-old is now 2-1 in the UFC with a pair of punishing knockout wins and a split decision loss to the streaking Chepe Mariscal in a Fight of the Night-winning contest earlier this year  He’s a perpetually exciting addition to the division and has the potential to push towards the Top 15 in the not too distant future Bryan Battle was pumped up to venture into enemy territory and made the absolute most of it, turning up the output and pressure to put away Kevin Jousset in the second round The TUF 29 middleweight tournament winner was happy to get into a back-and-forth with the Auckland-based Frenchman in the first but as Jousset began to slow in the second His output rose as did the power behind his shots and as soon as he recognized that Jousset was on shaky legs “The Butcher” swarmed and secured the finish After beginning his career at middleweight Battle is now 4-1 with one no contest in six welterweight appearances having earned stoppages in each of those victories He came off The Ultimate Fighter as a work-in-progress with “diamond in the rough” upside the North Carolina native has continued to get better to where he’s starting to creep towards the Top 15 in the 170-pound weight class Streaking featherweights William Gomis and Joanderson Brito collided in a tense becoming the first main card pairing to go the distance Brito came out with his signature aggression pressuring forward like a bull in a China shop using his physicality and heavy shots to frequently back Gomis behind the tram lines He largely got the better of things in the grappling interactions as well Gomis was able to land a little more effectively where he continued to target the body with kicks and land solid counters on the advancing Brito When the scorecards were collected and tallied it was Gomis that came out on the happy side of the split decision verdict extending his record to 4-0 in the UFC and his winning streak to a dozen overall The MMA Factory representative continues advancing it the featherweight division and should find himself in line for another step up in competition following this one Nassourdine Imavov collected his third win of 2024 while ending the extended winning streak of Brendan Allen in the co-main event at Accor Arena After being controlled on the canvas in the opening stanza stuffing the takedowns and punishing Allen for each failed attempt With the fight hanging in the balance in the third Imavov continued to force the action and be the more effective of the two getting the better of the striking exchanges as they worked to the final horn awarding Imavov the unanimous decision victory Paris-based middleweight is now unbeaten in his last four and sports a 5-1 record with one no contest over his last seven outings solidifying his place in the Top 5 of the 185-pound weight class with this victory Renato Moicano sucked all the air out of Accor Arena, dominating Benoît Saint Denis to post his third win of the year and sixth straight victory at lightweight to close out the UFC’s annual trip to Paris The Brazilian put Saint Denis on the canvas almost immediately and got to work straight away transitioning through dominant positions and punishing the Frenchman with elbows and punches leaving him busted up and leaking after just five minutes While Saint Denis persevered in the second and had positive moments the accumulated damage was simply too much for him to continue and the bout was halted prior to the start of the third round ascending threat in the lightweight division He’s now earned four straight victories and posted a 7-2 record over his last nine starts and is a menace for anyone that shares the cage with him going forward The Montreal PPV features a double championship headliner with Belal Muhammad defending his welterweight throne against Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko defending her flyweight title against Manon Fiorot Another all-action fighter has confirmed he'll be joining the fray.. Benoit Saint-Denis (red gloves) fights Thiago Moises (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena / Per Haljestam-Imagn ImagesBenoit Saint Denis announces he'll be fighting at UFC 315France's Benoit Saint Denis has remarked that he'll be joining the fight card on May 10 'God of War' revealed the fact in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel on March 31 "[...] You are leaving for Montreal in Canada for a fight on the 10th," Denis' interviewer revealed in an intermission Because of the French-Canadian audience at UFC 315 it makes sense for Denis to fight somebody like Fares Ziam Not only would Denis get the opportunity to steal Ziam's momentum and break his losing streak Ziam would be able to get his name out there with a win over a higher-ranked opponent With Denis' fight reported but not officially confirmed Stick with MMAKnockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, Boxing. Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER this is a big opportunity for him to jump into the rankings Many already believe that Alvarez is a top fifteen lightweight Alvarez made his octagon debut back in 2019 when he was 15-1 as a professional He lost his debut but has since gone 7-1 in the UFC with the lone loss coming against top contender Arman Tsarukyan He’s won three in a row and he’s looking to jump into the top fifteen on May 10th Benoit Saint-Denis is looking to get back on track in this next fight After losing his octagon debut back in 2021 Saint-Denis won five fights in a row all by finish which earned him the opportunity of a lifetime Saint-Denis got a shot against former interim champion Dustin Poirier It was a huge step-up for Saint-Denis and had he won he would’ve been right in title contention Saint-Denis looked good in the first round but he ran out of gas in the second and Poirier took over Poirier knocked Saint-Denis out just halfway through the second round The UFC returned to Paris last September and Saint-Denis was given the headlining spot against Renato Moicano It was a huge fight for BSD in front of his home country he was stopped in between rounds after getting beaten up badly by Moicano through two He has to show that he can bounce back if he wants to be taken seriously as a contender at 155 More about:MMA A forward-thinking New York Sports media outlet Follow us for breaking news and latest updates: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight standouts Renato Moicano vs. Benoit Saint-Denis will collide TONIGHT (Sat., Sept. 28, 2024) at UFC Paris inside Accor Arena in Paris Saint-Denis’ first Lightweight loss came at the fists of Dustin Poirier back in March cost him a title shot but that doesn’t mean it’s time to count out the 28-year-old finisher Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete: Moicano has settled nicely into the ultra game veteran role the start of this fight is going to be difficult for Moicano He’s facing a significant athleticism hill to climb the speed and power of Saint-Denis is going to be an issue and Moicano is no stranger to a comeback win Moicano really has to address Saint-Denis’ powerful left kick and it really lets him begin the process of running over his opponents Moicano has to stop that snowball before it starts rolling either by blocking it with knee — cross-checking could be a good option — or avoiding it entirely I think Moicano should embrace the grappling battle Moicano has the jiu-jitsu prowess to survive against anyone on the floor and he can encourage Saint-Denis to engage him there early by shooting his own takedowns and chaining shots The French prospect hurls himself at his opposition seeking to overwhelm opponents with an unending barrage of power punches but it remains to be seen if that can truly be blamed on a staph infection “God Of War” showed solid conditioning despite his lunatic pacing Saint-Denis’ best path to victory in this fight is on the feet as Moicano is 35 years old and has been stopped by strikes on three separate occasions is only growing more dangerous and varied as a striker His wrestling threat helps him a lot in that realm the overall focus should be on landing heavy strikes as Moicano works back to his feet Trading submissions with Moicano doesn’t seem like a longterm path to success could see Saint-Denis pick up both halves of his paycheck early but a Saint-Denis finish feels far more likely Saint-Denis faced too much criticism after his Poirier loss he was beating the absolute crap out of “The Diamond” for almost every second of that fight until he ran out of gas but he’s not as durable or dangerous in a firefight as Poirier Unlike in his recent bouts versus Drew Dober or Jalin Turner it doesn’t feel like his grappling can bail him out of losing the stand up either I think Saint-Denis starts hot and returns to the win column with authority faces off against former Flyweight champion promising an intense battle in the 185-pound division To check out the latest and greatest UFC Paris: “Moicano vs. BSD” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here This is the UFC Paris live blog for Renato Moicano vs. Benoit Saint Denis the lightweight main event this Saturday in Paris Moicano moved up to the 155-pound division in 2020 following back-to-back losses and rejuvenated his career Moicano is currently on a three-fight win streak over some of the top names in the division embracing his “Money Moicano” personality has garnered a whole new swath of fans for the Brazilian fighter as he looks to continue building his resume Since making his UFC debut in 2021, Saint Denis has been must see television every time out. Earning four bonuses in just seven fights, including two Fight of the Nights, Saint Denis’s high-action style earned him a big opportunity his last time out against Dustin Poirier Unfortunately for “BSD,” Poirier proved to be too much too soon and now the French fighter hopes to rebuild with a win on home soil over a fan favorite Check out the UFC Paris main event live blog below Renato Moicano promised to ruin the French party in the main event of UFC Paris, and did just that Saturday night, smashing Benoit Saint Denis with vicious ground and pound to force a doctor stoppage before the third round Moicano entered the second main event of his UFC career riding a three-fight winning streak moving to top position and getting his back to land vicious elbows and punches to open a cut around his right eye Saint Denis survived the early scare and came back better in round two stuffing every Moicano takedown and connecting better on the feet He had no chance to rebound in the third as the doctor called the end to the fight in between rounds after the Frenchman couldn’t see out of his right eye Moicano has now won six of his last seven with five stoppages to his credit, the loss being a five-round catchweight defeat to Rafael dos Anjos on four days’ notice “Next, I want easy money,” Moicano said after the win. “Paddy Pimblett, easy money. Dan Hooker I just beat a hell of an athlete everybody was talking about Moicano entered the fight riding a three-fight winning streak.  He finished Jalin Turner via TKO in his last outing at UFC 300 in April.  Saint Denis was looking to rebound from a knockout loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 299 in March  Moicano inched forward and Saint Denis landed a right hand  Moicano clinched and took Saint Denis down  Saint Denis worked to create space with a butterfly guard but Moicano was able to take Saint Denis' back during a scramble  Saint Denis rolled to his back and Moicano mounted him  Moicano opened up a cut with a series of left hands  Saint Denis is bleeding around his right eye  Saint Denis gave up his back and Moicano applied a body triangle  Moicano hammered away with punches and elbows  MMAWeekly scored the round 10-8 for Moicano Moicanao landed a jab to start the second frame.  Saint Denis connected with a left hand before going to the body.  Moicano looked for a takedown but Saint Denis defended the attempt.  Moicano took his time and looked to counter.  Moicano landed his jab on the damaged eye of Saint Denis.  Denis pressed forward and landed.  Moicano clinched and looked to get the fight to the ground.  Saint Denis shook off the attempt.   Saint Denis pressed forward behind a combination and Moicano used to opportunity to clinch.  They quickly separated.  Saint Denis fired off a head kick that was blocked.  MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Saint Denis.   Saint Denis's left eye is badly swollen below the eye.  His right eye had a cut above it and was also badly swollen.  A doctor was called in to evaluate him and opted to stop the fight.  The doctor noted that Saint Denis could not see out of his right eye.  With the TKO win, Moicano extended his winning streak to four consecutive fights.   By Jeff CainMMAWeekly Editor – I started working at MMAWeekly.com in 2002 and have covered mixed martial arts for 23 years.  is confident that UFC Des Moines loss will fuel the fighter to take things to the next level Fight fans are in for an international delight when the UFC returns to Canada on May 10 with France’s Benoit Saint Denis set to face Spain’s Joel Alvarez at UFC 315 in Montreal The thrilling lightweight matchup was officially added to the May 10 card by the organization with an announcement Saturday night during the UFC 314 broadcast Both 155-pounders are known for their ability to earn the knockout or submission without requiring the judges’ scorecards each having gone the distance just once during their respective professional MMA careers Saint Denis quickly rose up the rankings in 2022 and 2023 with five consecutive stoppage wins before getting checked by the top of the division The 29-year-old is coming off back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier (by knockout at UFC 299 a year ago) and Renato Moicano (technical knockout due to eye injury in September) but remains the No has won seven of his past eight fights in the UFC 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan three years ago the 32-year-old who stands six-foot-three has finished Marc Diakiese UFC 315 is headlined by a welterweight title fight between champion Belal Muhammad and No. 5 contender Jack Della Maddalena. Valentina Schevchenko looks to defend her women’s flyweight championship against No. 2-ranked Manon Fiorot in the co-main event. A welterweight matchup between Gilbert Burns and Michael Morales has been removed from the card and will instead headline a May 17 UFC Fight Night event at the banner's Apex facility in Las Vegas. The current projected bout order for the UFC’s first event in Montreal since 2015 is below: -- Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena -- Jessica Andrade vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius Champions Shevchenko, Muhammad excited for UFC’s return to MontrealModestas Bukauskas vs. Ion Cutelaba added to UFC 315 in MontrealCOMMENTS When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines Should you violate our submissions guidelines we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time Michael Bisping warns Renato Moicano of Benoit Saint Denis' aggressive style Moicano (19-5-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC) takes on Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in Saturday's UFC Fight Night 243 (ESPN+) main event at Accor Arena in Paris Prior to getting knocked out by Dustin Poirier at UFC 299 in March Saint Denis was on a tear in the lightweight division Bisping expects Saint Denis to come out with a vengeance against Moicano "Every time they've been to Paris, the crowd has been phenomenal," Bisping told TNT Sports but I'm telling you: The atmosphere has been electric This will be no different because in the main event the ridiculously violent and aggressive Benoit Saint Denis almost decapitated and finished Dustin Poirier on a number of occasions but then he got tired and then he got finished A star was born because if you almost do that to Dustin Poirier a man that is also slowly doing his own thing becoming a star in the lightweight division which isn't an easy thing to do because it is so stacked Benoit Saint Denis is going to be extra violent because he's in Paris he's going to have that crazy crowd going absolutely mental and I'm telling you I cannot wait for this." According to DraftKings, Saint Denis is a -270 favorite over Moicano, who's a +220 underdog. Moicano has won five of his past six, most recently a come-from-behind TKO of Jalin Turner at UFC 300 in April UFC full fight: Benoit Saint-Denis bloodies Thiago Moises in dominant TKO win UFC Fight Night 243: Make your predictions for Renato Moicano vs. Benoit Saint Denis UFC Fight Night 243: How to watch Renato Moicano vs. Benoit Saint Denis, start time, Paris fight card, odds, more Renato Moicano vs. Benoit Saint Denis: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC Fight Night 243 For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 243 Renato Moicano continued his charge up the lightweight pecking order Saturday when he played spoiler vs. Benoit Saint Denis in the UFC Fight Night 243 main event 12-5 UFC) went into enemy territory in France and defeated Saint Denis (13-3 MMA 5-3 UFC) by second-round doctor's stoppage TKO to improve to 7-1 since he moved up to 155 pounds at Accor Arena in Paris Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Moicano beating Saint Denis at UFC Fight Night 243 the UFC is back for its latest visit to the "City of Lights" with ranked lightweights at the top of the lineup Here's how to watch UFC Fight Night 243 with 155-pounders in the headlining spot plus middleweights in the co-feature in Paris UFC Fight Night 243 has a main card that starts at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at noon ET Veteran broadcaster Karyn Bryant serves as desk anchor and host at UFC Fight Night 243 Former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith and retired lightweight veteran Paul Felder join her as analysts at the desk for pre-fight coverage UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping joins Bryant and Smith at the desk for post-fight coverage Longtime UFC correspondent Heidi Androl will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC Fight Night 243 card as well as report additional real-time updates for the event John Gooden will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC Fight Night 243 He'll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by retired former middleweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer Bisping a Brazilian who trains at American Top Team in Florida since just before the pandemic – a 44-second submission of Damir Hadzovic in Brazil Misc.: This is Saint Denis' favorite time of year: UFC Paris week The promotion's first two visits to his capital city resulted in $50,000 stoppage bonuses for him Co-main event: Brendan AllenRecord: 24-5 MMA Misc.: Allen has been an RNC machine during his current streak Five of his seven straight wins have been by rear-naked chokes Misc.: It's a home game for Russia's Imavov Imavov has been favored against eight straight opponents (including a bout with Kelvin Gastelum that was canceled twice) – and three have been future champions or former or future title challengers Misc.: 32-year-old Croatian has 11 of his 14 wins by stoppage PodcastPremium DirectoryThe Black Belt List UFC Fight Night will electrify The Accor Arena in Paris and all eyes are on France's rising star as he faces his biggest challenge yet against seasoned lightweight contender Renato Moicano marks a monumental moment for the French crowd as their hometown hero steps into the octagon eager to extend his winning streak and solidify his place among the lightweight elite known for his nickname “God of War,” is a name that has been rapidly rising in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) His journey to the UFC is as inspiring as it is unique Saint Denis served as a member of the French Special Forces This military background endowed him with unmatched discipline and a warrior’s spirit—qualities that have become hallmarks of his fighting style Saint Denis made his professional MMA debut in 2019 showcasing an impressive grappling skill set particularly in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and submission techniques as he made waves with his aggressive fighting style and relentless pressure with 9 of his victories coming by submission—a testament to his ground game mastery One of the pivotal moments in Saint Denis’ career was his breakout performance against Thiago Moisés in July 2023 Saint Denis secured a dominant submission victory instantly gaining recognition as a top prospect in the lightweight division the stakes have never been higher for Saint Denis Fighting in front of his home crowd at The Accor Arena in Paris adds both pressure and motivation Fans are eager to see their countryman shine on one of the sport's biggest stages and Saint Denis is determined not to disappoint known for his versatile striking and grappling abilities Moicano has faced some of the biggest names in the sport and will not be an easy test for the up-and-coming Frenchman with notable wins over fighters like Brad Riddell and Cub Swanson This fight promises to be a clash of styles with Moicano likely to use his experience and technical striking to keep the fight at range while Saint Denis will look to close the distance Moicano's ability to counter submissions and control the pace of the fight will be critical but Saint Denis’ relentless pace and home advantage may tip the scales in his favor many analysts are leaning towards a submission victory for the Frenchman in the later rounds Moicano’s experience and striking pose a real threat making this a highly anticipated and competitive bout A win over Renato Moicano would propel him into the top 15 of the lightweight division while a loss would be a learning experience against one of the division's most respected veterans Tune in on ESPN+ to witness this exciting matchup and cheer on one of France’s brightest MMA talents as he looks to make a statement in front of his home crowd Accessibility Statement About  Black Belt Hall of Fame Advertise & Contact Privacy Policy Terms of use The UFC is back in the "City of Lights" this week with plenty of French fighters on the lineup in Paris UFC Fight Night 243 (ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris Get main card pick results from our 11 editors Rankings: None Rankings: None Rankings: None Rankings: Imavov No Rankings: Saint Denis No Although they don't count toward the standings MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims Duncan 3Check out all the main card picks below consensus picks @1khathaway @MikeBohn @mma_kings @MattE @MrMWells @thegoze @SJSamano @kammakaze @dannyseguratv @MMAjunkieGeorge Pictured: UFC lightweight Renato Moicano of Brazil with commentator Joe Rogan Here's everything you need to know about Renato Moicano vs September 28 – my expert UFC Paris pick and prediction the UFC will return to Accor Arena in Paris for an exciting main event in the lightweight division between No The fight card kicks off at noon ET (9 a.m The Frenchman Saint Denis is 5-2 in the UFC with four performance bonuses. He enters after a knockout loss to Dustin Poirier in March, when he closed as a -225 favorite and dominated the first seven minutes before tiring (while dealing with a staph infection). The Brazilian-born Moicano enters on a three-fight winning streak with an 11-5 promotional record (6-2 at lightweight) and seven wins by finish. Below, I'll provide my analysis and projections for the UFC Paris main event and utilize those factors to bet on Moicano and Saint Denis, who should make their main event cage walks at approximately 5:25 p.m. ET on Saturday on ESPN+. Like Moises, Moicano is a better submission grappler and technical striker than Saint Denis. Still, the difference in power, physicality and aggression should prove decisive for the Frenchman against a less durable opponent lacking knockout power. Moicano has one standing knockdown (against Cub Swanson) at the UFC level. While he's the better boxer than Saint Denis, he doesn't have the pop to deter his opponent from closing the distance or to finish the fight with one combination as Dustin Poirier did in his come-from-behind win. Instead, Moicano would win this matchup with toughness and superior cardio down the stretch. He showed both in spades in a one-sided, five-round loss to Rafael dos Anjos and come-from-behind wins over Jalin Turner and Alexander Hernandez. Moicano is a high-level jiu-jitsu practitioner with wicked back takes and a lethal rear-naked choke. Still, he's far less threatening when forced to defend grappling (permitted five of 15 takedowns and controlled for 13 minutes by dos Anjos) rather than trying to pass or finish opponents offensively. Saint Denis is exceptionally hittable on the feet (42% striking defense). Still, he excels at either staying outside, where he can land his powerful left kick from a distance, or at getting all the way in on his opponents, where he puts them in his grasp and initiates wrestling exchanges. "God of War" will attempt to overwhelm Moicano with pace and pressure (9.6 takedown attempts per 5 minutes at a distance; 37% accuracy) – fighting like a more violent Merab Dvalishvili – after setting up entries behind his powerful left kick to the head and body, which he uses both to land damage and make opponents lose balance. The question that will determine his championship ceiling is whether Saint Denis can maintain that pace for 25 minutes; as he found out against Poirier, fighters near the top of the rankings are more challenging to finish. While you can partially credit his loss to Poirier to the staph infection and a temporary cardio deficiency, it seems doubtful that Saint Denis can maintain his hectic style across 25 minutes; Dvalishvili is the only fighter who has ever been able to maintain that pace through the championship rounds. If Saint Denis tires and has to strike at range in the championship rounds, Moicano should get the better of those exchanges (+1.1 vs. -1.2 significant strike differential at a distance). I'd look to live bet Moicano about midway through Round 2 or after Round 3 – if he's getting outwrestled but not on the verge of getting finished. Still, he should be playing defense for the first two rounds or more, and I expect Saint Denis to finish Moicano at a consistent clip (90% of his win condition) in front of a raucous home crowd. I expect the fight to end inside the distance about 86% of the time (-624 implied), in line with the betting market (-670 Yes, +450 No), and don't show value concerning the total I would weigh most of Saint Denis' finishing upside toward the first half of the fight and give Moicano more decision and late finish equity As a result, I'd consider betting Saint Denis to win in Rounds 1-2 (-110) or placing a same-game parlay with Saint Denis and the Under 2.5 Rounds (-125) However, I'd rather bet Saint Denis to win inside the distance (projected -205, listed -185) than take his SGP with the Under 3.5 Rounds (listed -165) at a slight discount. And if you're looking for plus money, I like Saint Denis to win by KO/TKO (projected -107, listed +110) via ground and pound. The Picks: Benoit Saint Denis wins Inside the Distance (-175 at bet365) | Renato Moicano Live after Round 3 This site .css-115lfch{color:var(--tan-text-link);}contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. Copyright 2025 © Action Network Inc, All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | AdChoices This site contains commercial content. Disclosure Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler Renato Moicano was never a fan of Benoit Saint Denis getting a fight against Dustin Poirier because based on rankings and experience In reality, Saint Denis appeared to be a star on the rise, especially with the UFC looking for marketable fighters coming out of Europe and he made a good accounting for himself before ultimately suffering a second-round knockout loss. Now six months later it’s Moicano who got the call to face Saint Denis in his home country as the main event for UFC Paris on Saturday Moicano knew the agenda the UFC had in mind before the ink on the contract was dry “You’re going to force me to say things that UFC don’t like,” Moicano said when speaking to MMA Fighting “But I think it’s that — UFC likes Benoit Saint Denis UFC wants to push Benoit Saint Denis and that’s the truth He went into the UFC with very good performances He beat his opponents in a very good fashion but he didn’t face big names “100 percent if you win against Dustin Poirier That’s why Poirier after Benoit Saint Denis fought for the belt they’re trying to push Benoit Saint Denis and I’m not even mad at that.” Moicano can’t fault the UFC for investing in a talented prospect like Saint Denis with hopes that he could become a draw across Europe With Conor McGregor missing in action since 2021 and European champions like Leon Edwards no longer holding titles the UFC needs new names to promote and Saint Denis certainly fits that bill They don’t have many European fighters doing very well and Benoit Saint Denis is a dangerous fighter He’s an aggressive fighter and the UFC likes him UFC called the wrong guy because I’m going over there and I’m beating him.” Another reason why Moicano knows that Saint Denis is getting a big push from the UFC came after he got the call for the fight to serve as the main event in Paris on Saturday On paper, multi-time heavyweight title challenger Ciryl Gane is a more established name with a bigger following but he wasn’t booked for UFC Paris. Instead, he was originally scheduled to clash with Alexander Volkov at UFC 308 until that fight was recently scrapped due to injury Saint Denis is only seven fights into his UFC career but with a fan-friendly style and the French crowd behind him he’s got that ‘it’ factor that the organization loves “I was expecting to see Ciryl Gane,” Moicano said. “We have to ask why Ciryl Gane is not fighting in France and [he was fighting in Abu Dhabi]. That doesn’t make any sense to me. The only sense is they want to build [Saint Denis] up, build him back and right now like you said, a lot of people were paying attention to [my fight at] UFC 300 I take my hat off to the UFC because the UFC is the best in the business for a reason Moicano says he’s been doubted his entire life and that even includes his parents telling him to give up on fighting when he was trying to make his way in the sport everyday I wake up and my father and my mother said ‘you’re not going to make it I will get wins and one day the UFC will have to promote me the way I want to of course on my side I think they are trying to push Benoit Saint Denis but it’s France so I just have to win and be myself and do what I do.” Whether the spotlight shines brightest on Saint Denis or not He may not have the crowd on his side and the odds say he’s not expected to win but that won’t stop Moicano from doing everything possible to notch his fourth straight win in the UFC> “I’m going over there and I’m winning,” Moicano said “I’m doing everything that I need to do to be ready for Sept I’m not trying to spar really hard and win every round at the gym I’m not killing myself the way I used to do I want the bonus and I want the double checks.” At UFC 299 earlier this year, Benoit Saint-Denis was handed only his second UFC loss when former interim champion Dustin Poirier knocked him out in round two he did pick up a win over former UFC fighter Despite coming off the loss to ‘The Diamond’, the 28-year-old was afforded his first main event fight in the UFC as he takes on Renato Moicano in what is set to be an incredible back-and-forth fight this coming Saturday Sitting just outside of the top 10 in the lightweight division Saint-Denis is hopeful that not too long down the line “He’s a great fighter and I think the only way I get a shot at him again is to take the belt from (Islam) Makhachev’s waist and then I will have something he hasn’t and maybe we will do it (again),” Saint-Denis told ShakMMA “It’s the only way I see me having the honor and privilege to fight him again so I have to work my arse off to get back in there and (back to) that place,” he continued Going into his fight against the Louisianan ‘God of War’ was suffering from a staph infection and it was picked up on by the fans when his official fight images were released the Frenchman explained how much it affected him during the two-round war Although Saint-Denis is hopeful of one day getting the opportunity to rematch Poirier the 35-year-old has stated that his next outing will likely be his last Following his title loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 Poirier heavily hinted that he was going to call it a day on his career Since announcing he will fight again, the former interim champion has been waiting for the right opportunity to come his way and earlier this week, Poirier called for an epic trilogy fight against Justin Gaethje ‘The Highlight’ is also looking to return for one last run at the title and Gaethje has expressed interest in a few different names One of which, was Dan Hooker who after seeing Poirier’s tweet calling for a trilogy he called for a rematch against ‘The Diamond’ with their first fight in 2020 being an all-time classic “You don’t really want that,” Poirier replied to ‘The Hangman’ Benoit Saint Denis had a huge opportunity in front of him at UFC 299 and he wasn’t going to let anything stop him from taking it Dustin Poirier ended up knocking Saint Denis out in Round 2 of the March co-main event in an incredible battle. As Saint Denis prepares to headline Saturday’s UFC Paris event in front of his home crowd he reflected on the lessons learned from challenging one of the greatest lightweights of all time “I learned a lot,” Saint Denis told MMA Fighting I learned that you have to underestimate nobody and you can’t go out there not being healthy I believe if I had this staph infection this late into my camp it’s because I was stressed and I took no pleasure in my training camp new stuff to manage that I was not used to you then have the shoulders of a CEO because you have all the staff and the management around you a lot of people and you deal with the new stuff that is difficult to when it’s brand new I believe being at the top is also a [tough] experience and being able to manage your schedule and to still enjoy the process of being a fighter It’s the most important thing and to make the people that are with you proud of your performance and to have people with you that you want to make proud of the performance you are gonna deliver We made a lot of adjustments and I’m really happy now And I took pleasure in training and I will take pleasure in my fight.” Saint Denis revealed his staph infection following the loss he felt either way could be potentially disrespectful to Poirier; face him at less than 100 percent but still have the chance to score the biggest win of his career or feel like “The Diamond” wasted weeks and weeks of training to not fight “It was disrespectful to go out there against a guy of this level being in such a bad condition,” Saint Denis said “But it was also disrespectful to call the fight [off] during fight week [for a fight] the guy has been preparing hard for It was a dilemma for me and it had been bringing a lot of stress during the fight week to not know what to do and top [teams] that they have a lot of experience They have called a lot of fights during the fight week because of a bad cut but I was the first guy of my team to co-headline such an event and to be at this level though We don’t have experience with those kind of opportunities So Tuesday [of fight week] we [made] the decision to go through and to do whatever I can in the condition that [I was] in I have been through this situation because I had a lack of professionalism in managing my stuff [with] my weight and a lot of stuff that I had to professionalize but it was a training camp where I was al almost in depression and and then be happy to deliver the best performance you can to everybody.” With hindsight being what it is, the lessons learned outweighed the results from UFC 299. Poirier went on to challenge for the lightweight title, coming up short in a Fight of the Year contender at UFC 302 in June the story of that loss is an important chapter in the “God of War” story “I cannot have regrets because it’s a lesson,” Saint Denis said “All the stuff that went bad [before the fight I had to manage] but I have absolutely no regrets because I was lucky enough that the fight went well for me for as long as it went MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC Fight Night 243 main event between Renato Moicano and Benoit Saint-Denis (ESPN+) Renato Moicano UFC Fight Night 243 previewStaple info: The main event in France features a fun stylistic matchup between two lightweights who operate out of different stances Known as the "God of War," Benoit Saint-Denis is a southpaw who slings his left shin with impunity Whether Saint-Denis is variating his kicks to the body or the head he is good about counter-balancing his attacks with hard punches on the follow-up Saint-Denis has also made more of a concerted effort to prod with body punches in recent outings which only adds to the southpaw double-attack dynamic that he brings to the table Saint-Denis' borderline reckless aggression can expose some porous defense that leaves the 28-year-old open to counters Despite stepping onto the UFC scene with submissions being his forte Moicano quickly demonstrated that he was paying proper attention to all parts of his game – including his striking Moicano can either stalk or stick and move Striking in combination when feeling in stride the 35-year-old does increasingly better at punching his way in and out of the pocket Whether Moicano is coming forward or countering cross and uppercut triggers appear to be deeply rooted Moicano will still smartly utilize his lead hand but mainly looks to counter when finding himself in open-stance affairs (which isn't the worst idea in the world given the potential offerings his opponent could provide) Given that both fighters come from grappling bases no one should be shocked if either man attempts to take things to the ground this weekend An aggressive pressure-grappler at his core Saint-Denis has little issue when it comes to implementing his game on the opposition Although Saint-Denis may not have the most elegant setups for his shots the 28-year-old is a relentless worker once he can corral people up against the fence From body locks to chains off of the single-leg Saint-Denis almost resembles a honey badger in closed quarters And when Saint-Denis can establish any kind of riding position he’s quick to get to work with punishing strikes and opportunistic submission holds Moicano – a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt – is not exactly a slouch in close Moicano has also spent a good portion of his childhood practicing judo which means that he should at least be familiar with some of the offensive and defensive stylings of Saint-Denis Since moving up to the UFC's lightweight division Moicano has become a much more aggressive grappler Moicano still shows the level-changing shots that he wielded at featherweight but the American Top Team product arguably gets a bulk of his work done from the clinch Moicano likes to combo his threats that range from shuck-bys to the back to Polish-style step-around takedowns that force his opponents to pick their poison Once Moicano can establish a dominant position, he quickly demonstrates why he made MMA Junkie's Top 10 when it comes to rear-naked choke artists in MMA A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt primed to get behind his opposition Moicano needs very little daylight to get to his preferred kill zone And once Moicano can establish his presence from the rear he shows incredibly slick grip deconstructions that smoothly cut through his victim’s defenses like a hot knife going through butter The oddsmakers and the public are currently favoring the French fighter listing Saint-Denis -290 and Moicano +215 via FanDuel Although I don't disagree with who is favored I believe that Moicano is a live underdog in this spot Aside from the fact Saint-Denis has still yet to prove himself positively past the second round the "God of War" will provide Moicano with plenty of counter opportunities due to the sheer nature of his aggression And despite Saint-Denis having solid wrestle-ups with some confident front-choke defense in tow the Frenchman is not beyond being taken down due to his proclivity to sometimes surrender underhooks in favor of overhooks I can't help but suspect that this will be an incredibly tough storm for Moicano to weather from both a size and stylistic perspective Moicano may technically have a positive record opposite UFC-level southpaws at 2-1 but all three fighters in said sample were able to repeatedly hurt the Brazilian with left-sided strikes Couple that with the bodywork that Saint-Denis brings to the table (something that was a crux with my Rafael Fiziev and Rafael dos Anjos picks) and I find myself semi-reluctantly siding with the betting favorite in this spot but the official pick is Saint-Denis by knockout in Round 1 As the main event in Paris, Moicano and Saint Denis are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET. The entire card streams on ESPN+ France's Own Benoît Saint Denis Gets The Main Event Spotlight Against Renato Moicano In Paris Benoit Saint Denis entered UFC Fight Night 243 looking to reestablish himself as a legitimate lightweight contender on his home turf but Renato Moicano had other plans as he won their main event in Paris by second-round TKO Given the circumstances and setting around the fight just how surprising was Moicano's beatdown of Saint Denis Dan Tom and Brian "Goze" Garcia answer that and more with host "Gorgeous" George Garcia You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week's entire episode of "Spinning Back Clique" below on YouTube RelatedBenoit Saint Denis reacts to UFC Paris loss to Renato Moicano: 'This sport is hard, but incredible' Renato Moicano invites Benoit Saint Denis to train at ATT after UFC Paris: 'He needs to get out of his comfort zone' Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Renato Moicano after UFC Fight Night 243 win? Renato Moicano fought through shoulder injury at UFC Fight Night 243 For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243 Lightweights Benoit Saint Denis and Renato Moicano have agreed to meet at the upcoming UFC Fight Night card in Paris scheduled on Sept Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Friday, with both athletes verbally agreeing to the matchup. AG Fight initially reported the news Moicano travels into enemy territory as he seeks his fourth win in a row. The former featherweight picked up impressive victories over Brad Riddell and Drew Dober before a comeback victory to stop Jalin Turner at UFC 300 Now he’ll look to take out one of the top prospects in the division, with Saint Denis making his first appearance since a barnburner against Dustin Poirier at UFC 299 While he ultimately suffered a knockout loss that night Saint Denis still managed to raise his stock with the performance giving the former interim lightweight champion everything Poirier could handle in UFC 299’s Fight of the Night The fight against Moicano gives Saint Denis the chance to go home again after he scored a separate Fight of the Night bonus for his win over Thiago Moises at the previous UFC Paris card in 2023 It is unclear at this time whether the bout will serve as the headliner for the event and with UFC Paris scheduled for September more fights should be announced in the coming weeks Benoit Saint Denis wants to restart his climb to the top of the lightweight division and is hoping to fight twice on European soil in 2024 The French lightweight, who recently lost to Dustin Poirier at UFC 299, returned to competition on May 18 in his native Paris with a unanimous decision win over fellow UFC fighter Marc Diakiese in a grappling contest at ADXC 4 Speaking with MMA Fighting ahead of the match “I want to stay active and I want to fight as soon as possible.” “I don’t know if it’s going to be [Manchester on July 27 at UFC 304] I don’t know if it’s going to be Paris [on Sept he’s working with the UFC to find the best place for me to compete And I want to climb the rankings and get at the top but I’m more determined than ever to become the champion I need to work a lot and I’m ready to do it I’m just waiting for the next opportunity.” Saint Denis fought on the main card of UFC Paris in 2023 and beat Thiago Moises via second-round TKO He loves the idea of once again entering the octagon in France I will be on both cards,” Saint Denis said So I’m waiting for the UFC to work with my manager to find a matchup that everybody will want to see and that will prove who is the next future contender.” Saint Denis finished five opponents in a row after cutting down to lightweight before his loss to Poirier Now he wants UFC to throw the highest-ranked athlete possible in front of him so he can prove he’s a force to be reckoned with in the division “The names that are interesting to me the most are in order of the placement: [Islam] Makhachev No. 1, [Arman] Tsarukyan No. 2, Justin Gaethje I will fight anybody that the UFC is going to give me Poirier earned a shot at 155-pound champion Makhachev on June 1 at UFC 302 after his win over Saint Denis but ultimately sees Makhachev as the favorite to win “Dustin Poirier is a very composed and experienced fighter I do believe he has watched my fight against Poirier as well as Dustin’s fight with [Charles] Olivera Everybody knows what the game plan is going to be It’s going to be Makhachev trying to submit Poirier But I see Poirier only having the knockout win eventually I also see Makhachev having the physicality to dominate the fight if it goes long Benoit Saint Denis plans on reestablishing himself as a UFC lightweight contender with a statement against Renato Moicano Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) faces Moicano (19-5-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC) in Saturday's UFC Fight Night 243 (ESPN+) main event at Accor Arena in Paris. Saint Denis saw his five-fight winning streak snapped by Dustin Poirier at UFC 299 in March The "God of War" plans on picking up right where he left off against Moicano "Everything is open. Everything is to take," Saint Denis told reporters at Wednesday's UFC Fight Night 243 media day (h/t La Sueur) I need to put on a huge performance against Moicano Expect me to do my best to climb the division." Although Saint Denis was battling a staph infection heading into his fight with Poirier his over aggressiveness led to him getting knocked out in Round 2 He has sought help from a new striking coach for this camp what we want is the same fighter with a bit more responsibility defensively," Saint Denis said "This has been one of the keys around my preparation and I'm ready to give a war and show this off." Moicano has leaned on his ground game throughout his career finishing four of his past six wins by submission Saint Denis is confident he can handle him everywhere "We will bring it anywhere we can have our way." Renato Moicano thinks Benoit Saint Denis needs a change in training scenery if he wants to snap his two-fight losing skid after UFC Fight Night 243 After scoring a second-round doctor's stoppage TKO win over Saint Denis (13-3 MMA 6-2 UFC) on Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris 12-5 UFC) extended an olive branch for his most recent opponent to come into his gym at American Top Team in South Florida "I invite Benoit Saint Denis to come to our gym to train with us and I can guarantee he's going to be another fighter," Moicano told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 243 post-fight news conference "He needs to get out of his comfort zone in my opinion But I think he's a great fighter and he's still young they give him Dustin Poirier and 'Money' Moicano in a row But I think eventually he's going to get there." Moicano said he thinks quite highly of Saint Denis the limitations in the Frenchman's game that Moicano saw during preparation also appeared in reality and that's going to be problematic if Saint Denis wants to reach the next level of the lightweight division and he hopes Saint Denis will take it seriously "I really respect Benoit Saint Denis and what he did in this division," Moicano said Because what makes him dangerous is what makes him vulnerable Especially watching his fights and watch the way he stands up with fighters I was talking to my coaches that once I get this guy down he's going to make everything sweat and he's going to be gassed RelatedRenato Moicano fought through shoulder injury at UFC Fight Night 243 5 biggest takeaways from UFC Fight Night 243: Is Renato Moicano a title threat in the lightweight division? UFC Fight Night 243 post-event facts: Renato Moicano matches Paddy Pimblett's streak to set up potential fight UFC Fight Night 243 social media reactions: Renato Moicano's TKO of Benoit Saint Denis gets praise from fighters Saint Denis opened as the -300 betting favorite That’s according to our fiscal friends over at BetOnline.ag It didn’t take long for money to start trickling in for “Moicano,” who now stands at +185 against -220 for the Parisian “God of War.” Don’t be surprised to see this line fluctuate even further as we get closer to fight night Expect more UFC Paris fight card announcements in the coming weeks. Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again. Benoit Saint-Denis is hoping to put his knockout loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 299 behind him when he faces Brazil's Renato Moicano Moicano arrives in Paris on the back of  four-fight winning streak but it will take a stellar performance to keep up this form in a bear pit atmosphere at the Accor Arena Here's everything you need to know ahead of Moicano vs ET with the main card set to begin at 8 p.m Fans in the US can stream the fight live on ESPN+ (click here for more information) while TNT Sports will broadcast the fight in the UK The fight will take place at the Accor Arena in Paris Saint-Denis was coming off a knockout loss to Dustin Poirier but it was a rare fight in which he got finished yet his stock seemed to rise Saint-Denis had finished five opponents in a row and looked dominant against Poirier before getting caught by the former interim champion Fighting in front of his home country against Renato Moicano Moicano secured a pretty easy takedown and dominated Saint-Denis in the first round BSD was battered after the first round needing help to get back to his stool He did recover to have a better second round He couldn’t see at all following the second round and the doctor called a stop to the action giving Renato Moicano the dominant win at UFC Paris Through one round of the Dustin Poirier fight it looked like Benoit Saint-Denis was going to be in the mix for a title shot he gets knocked out by Poirier and then he gets completely dominated in front of his home country against Renato Moicano he’ll desperately need a win in his next fight if he wants to get back to relevancy at 155 pounds who should the UFC look at for a potential opponent in his next fight I wouldn’t mind him taking on someone like Rafael Dos Anjos The former champion is always going to be a tough test and even at this stage in his career RDA is currently ranked 13th just one spot behind BSD Seems like a good fight to make if you ask me The UFC Fight Night 243 main event is official after Renato Moicano and Benoit Saint Denis made weight on Friday Ranked lightweights are set to clash in a five-round bout at Accor Arena in Paris on Saturday (ESPN+) but first both men had to step on the scale and hit the divisional mark 11-5 UFC) registered at 156 pounds for his second octagon headliner 5-2 UFC) tipped the scale at 156 pounds for his first promotional main event Brazil's Moicano is riding a three-fight winning streak and is No. 15 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings. No. 14-ranked Saint Denis, meanwhile, is looking to rebound from a knockout loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 299 in March which snapped his five-fight winning streak Check out the video above to see Moicano and Saint Denis make weight for UFC Fight Night 243 It's a home game this time around for France's Saint-Denis (13-2) who enters his first main event spot at UFC Paris across from Brazili's Moicano Moicano (19-5-1) has fought the best the UFC has had to offer at both 145lbs and 155lbs and that's not going to stop this weekend France's own looks to make another statement 😤@BenoitSt_Denis steps into his first main event this weekend at #UFCParis ![ Live on @ESPNPlus | SAT | 3pmET/12pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/bVbZotroq9 UFC Paris: Renato Moicano on Benoit Saint-Denis Fight - ‘I’m Not F****** Losing' While the #12-ranked Saint-Denis may not have the long resume Moicano has in the premier promotion the nicknamed "God of War" has picked up some major momentum in the lightweight division stopping five opponents in a row before finally coming to a stop himself against former interim champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 299 in March / Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesSaint-Denis wasn't able to live up to the hype in his massive step-up in competition but many believe the future still burns bright for the 28-year-old prospect given how the Frenchman stood against a formidable foe in Poirier for as long as their 'Fight of the Night' lasted Brazil's Moicano has seen his fair share of wars inside the UFC Octagon where exactly does a new face like Saint-Denis rank among former foes "No," Moicano told Home of Fight when asked if Saint-Denis was his toughest opponent to date / Jason Silva-Imagn ImagesMoicano Sees Saint-Denis As His 'Toughest' Opponent Besides...Moicano shared the Octagon with two-time featherweight champion Jose Aldo in just his seventh UFC appearance with Aldo turning back the clock for a TKO win in the second round in 2019 That was Moicano's second-to-last fight at 145lbs moving up to 155lbs after another loss to "The Korean Zombie" but Rafael Dos Anjos is not in his prime anymore I think is tougher than him," Moicano admitted This black belt is BACK in action 😤@MoicanoUFC headlines #UFCParis this Saturday![ Watch on ESPN+ | 3pmET/12pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/IdsBEXF0ho #9 UFC Lightweight Rafael Fiziev brought about one of the best peformances of his career against Moicano handing "Money" his first loss at lightweight via first-round KO in 2020 Like Moicano's upcoming opponent Saint-Denis Fiziev was feared by many (and still is) after going on a hot streak of six-straight wins before going the distance with Justin Gaethje and suffering an injury against Mateusz Gamrot Rebilas-Imagn ImagesRenato Moicano refuses to look past the highly-touted Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC Paris but he knows a huge matchup is in store for him with a win maybe whoever," Moicano said of who he wants to fight next after Saint-Denis UFC Double-Champ Hints Jon Jones & Miocic Are Dodging Tom Aspinall • UFC Double-Champ Hints Jon Jones & Miocic Are Dodging Tom Aspinall • UFC 307: Top Contender Officially Withdraws from Salt Lake City Card • Lil Pump Clears Air on Getting Choked Out by Ex-UFC Champ • MMA Fighter Calls His Shot & Floors Opponent with One-Punch KO Stick with MMA Knockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC Follow MMA Knockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times There’s something seriously wrong with UFC’s ranking system which just ignored Moicano’s dominating win over Saint-Denis because the two were ranked 11 and 12 The official UFC ranking updates came out early this morning 11 spot at 155 pounds has he did before his big win That’s because Saint-Denis was ranked No. 12, and apparently the rankings are no longer something that are adjusted by people with brains and eyes and reason. On the contrary, they’re basic math equations: beat No everyone else slides down until someone hits your former spot And that’s pretty absurd Moicano proved he was a Top 5-ranked fighter with his impressive win on Saturday night, especially once he revealed he competed with a badly injured shoulder (details here) His first round performance was dominant enough to earn him 10-8 scores on all three judges’ scorecards which tells you something considering 10-8 scores are another element of mixed martial arts (MMA) that are generally not handled correctly Renato @moicanoufc may have something to say about the latest official rankings update following #UFCParis.He is not rewarded for his win over Benoit Sant Denis with any movement, and instead stays locked in at No. 11. "BSD" also stays in his spot at No. 12. pic.twitter.com/g75pIT3X6T We’re not the only ones who have noticed the rankings turning into a simple ranking swap proposition Moicano himself seemed to expect disappointment on Monday as he awaited the update “Go to France no bonus,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) “France usada try to f— me up on the weight ins... France government takes a lot of my money.. the only think missing is not being on the top 6 tomorrow I Should Be Ranked #6 in the Lightweight Division Tomorrow,” he continued I’ve fought 3 times and I’m on a 6-fight win streak in the lightweight division ranked above me are #6 Michael Chandler: If anyone doesn’t deserve this spot coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier in November 2022 and only now decided to fight Charles Oliveira There’s no way I’m not #6 in the lightweight division right now.” go to France no bonus.... France usada try to fck me up on the weight ins.... France government takes a lot of my money... the only think missing is not being on the top 6 tomorrow #ufc #mma that’s where we would have placed Moicano: in the No above the inactive Chandler and Beneil Dariush It’s unclear whether that’s still a thing being applied in the rankings or if all the people UFC claims are submitting rankings are still the ones actually behind this The list of contributors who supposedly submit rankings is wildly out of date — several news outlets listed don’t even exist any more. The reporters we here at MMAmania.com know who do participate in the system have said there are often big differences between what they submit and what shows up in the rankings which is understandable given this is supposed to be aggregate rankings based off 20 or more submissions But, something has clearly gone off the rails Is it the people submitting the rankings who are the problem? Have they been doing the simple math of letting fighters “eat what they kill” rather than basing it on level of dominance and skill shown Simply taking the ranking of the guy you beat means fighting against someone near you in the rankings is a futile It can be costly, too and is going to lead to more matchmaking gridlock as fighters rightfully refuse to fight anyone but the highest-ranked opponent they can get their hands on You don’t need to have a degree in game theory to see where that goes add UFC’s rankings to the list of things that need to be fixed because Moicano not moving up a single spot after whupping the ass of “BDS” says something is deeply wrong with how things are working right now Help is on the way!?!?!? To checkout the latest UFC rankings click here