"You gotta pay your dues" - Dustin Poirier explains why he agreed to face lower-ranked Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299

Dustin Poirier has opened up about why he agreed to fight the relatively lower-ranked Benoit Saint Denis, a matchup many viewed as a risky proposition for 'The Diamond.'

As Poirier entered his five-round non-title lightweight bout at UFC 299 (March 9, 2024), many cautioned him against fighting the rising French star. 'God of War' was looking to beat 'The Diamond' and break into the UFC's top-10 ranks at lightweight.

The No. 3-ranked Poirier was coming off a second-round KO defeat last July. At UFC 299, the American ended up besting Saint Denis via second-round KO.

In an interview with Mackenzie Salmon for MMA Junkie, Dustin Poirier was asked about why he faced Benoit Saint Denis and how satisfying his KO win was. The 35-year-old Poirier responded by suggesting that facing the 28-year-old Saint Denis was a way of paying his dues.

The former interim UFC lightweight champion indicated that testing oneself against up-and-coming fighters is an integral part of fighting. Poirier also alluded to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev's call-out of him. Makhachev recently opined that Poirier is the only top-tier opponent available to fight him around June 2024.

Drawing parallels with it, Poirier explained that Saint Denis was the only matchup available for him at UFC 299. 'The Diamond' stated:

"Knocking him out was great. Being the only guy to ever finish him is great. Every win is incredible. But for taking this fight, it's like, you gotta pay your dues. And I've been at the top a long time, somebody gave me my chance to break into the top. And, kind of like what Islam said, nobody was available at the time. He was the next guy, who had a lot of hype, who was putting people away. And it just made sense."

Poirier added:

"And I've got to show who I am, fight these young hungry guys like that ... This guy is in his 20s, on a five-fight win streak in the UFC, finished all of his opponents. Like, you just gotta throw yourself in that fire sometimes. That's just part of fighting."

Check out Poirier's comments below (0:57):

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Dustin Poirier recounts lightweight war against Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299

During a recent edition of The MMA Hour, Dustin Poirier revisited his thrilling war against 'God of War' in their lightweight showdown at UFC 299. Expounding upon his all-time-classic comeback KO, he concurrently gave props to the French lightweight. Addressing the onslaught he faced and survived in round one, Poirier said:

"I was surprised at how much success he was having in the first round. He was riding me off, you know ... I was like, sh*t!"

Watch Dustin Poirier's assessment below (8:20):

Presently, Dustin Poirier holds the No. 3 spot in the official UFC lightweight rankings, whereas Benoit Saint Denis stands at No. 11. Moreover, after UFC 299, both Islam Makhachev and Poirier have implied that they're willing to clash next, possibly in June 2024. However, the UFC hasn't made the potential bout official yet.