Benoit Saint-Denis made a huge statement at UFC 322, knocking out Beneil Dariush in just 16 seconds and putting himself firmly back into the lightweight title mix. But the French finisher has bigger ambitions than just the divisional belt.
Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Saint-Denis revealed that, alongside chasing Ilia Topuria’s lightweight championship, he wants Max Holloway’s BMF title as well.
“My absolute goal is to get that BMF and that lightweight belt,” he said. “Two huge titles for one division.”
Holloway claimed the BMF title in July at UFC 318, beating Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight and retiring “The Diamond” after a classic five-round battle. With Holloway eyeing big fights at 155, Saint-Denis plans to put himself firmly on the Hawaiian legend’s radar.
Meanwhile, Dariush addressed his brutal loss, saying on Instagram: “I’m alright. Not injured, just disappointed.” Having now suffered three knockout defeats in his last four fights, questions about the 36-year-old’s future are only growing.
