Can the ‘God of War’ Stop the Surging Fighting Nerd?
Benoit Saint Denis was once looked at as the boogeyman of the Lightweight Division until he ran into the legend that is Dustin Poirier. After that knockout loss, he lost some of the aura that surrounded the former French special forces agent. He looks to show that he is more than just a step for another rising star to use to propel themselves into the rankings. He takes on one of the fighting nerds' most electrifying fighters, Mauricio Ruffy. Will Saint Denis turn back the dangerous striker, or will Mauricio Ruffy show that he has arrived and it’s his time to make a push towards the top?
Benoit Saint Denis, before 2024, was on a five-fight winning streak all by finishes. His constant forward pressure and overwhelming aggressiveness make him a real force. He is a decent striker but has a ton of power and is a great wrestler and grappler. If he can put Ruffey on the back foot and press him up against the fence, he will be able to shoot him takedowns, and if this fight gets to the ground, we will see how well-rounded Ruffey is. Saint Denis won’t have to worry about the takedown threat in this fight like his loss against Renato Moicano. He needs to get this fight to the ground and wear on Ruffy, whose gas tank did not look great in his decision win against James Llontop. Closing the distance and not letting him pick him apart with his dynamic striking will go a long way in this fight. I think this is a drastic step up in competition for Ruffey, so if Saint Denis can channel the killer he once was, he can make this fight a lot closer than most people think.
Mauricio Ruffy has looked like the new version of Conor McGregor in the early stages of his career. They both have similar stances and striking ability, and the danger that Ruffy presents at any given time on the feet is apparent. He lost some of his hype after struggling to put James LIontop away on short notice, but came back in a massive way when he was able to knock out King Green in the first round with a devastating spinning wheel kick. That type of knockout against a seasoned veteran like Green has allowed him this opportunity to get into the lightweight rankings against Saint Denis. Ruffy will try to do exactly what fellow fighting nerd Carlos Prates was able to do against Geoff Neal and put on a show for the crowd. Saint Denis goes forward and doesn’t have good head movement and striking defense, so if Ruffy can circle away from the grappling threat, he will be able to pick apart Saint Denis on the outside and potentially land a knockout shot. In a co-main event spot, if he can finish Saint Denis, this could propel Ruffy into a top-five-level fight in his next match.
This should be a highly contested contest between two extremely high-level competitors. The striking favors Ruffy, but the grappling favors Saint Denis. We will see which fighter can implement their strategy best to get the fight to where they can excel the most. You don’t want to miss this fight and all the other great action this Saturday, September 6th, for UFC Fight Night: Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho, with a main card start time of 3:00 p.m. EST.
