Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Southpaws Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint Denis will clash this weekend (Sat., Nov. 15, 2025) inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York for UFC 322.
After a handful of uneventful cards in the Apex — aside from, you know, the whole massive betting scandal — a major trip to MSG is a welcome change! This pay-per-view (PPV) event kicks off with a compelling Lightweight matchup that should tell us a lot about where both men stands. Dariush is one of the most skilled Lightweights of the last decade, but he’s 36 years old and has suffered a couple bad knockouts in recent memory. Even after rebounding over Renato Moicano, the question remains: how much does Dariush have left in the tank?
“BSD,” conversely, has rebounded well from a disastrous 2024, winning his last two fights in dominant fashion. This is a chance for the French standout to prove that he’s really grown from those defeats to Dustin Poirier and Moicano, because he’s once again taking a big swing at a proud member of the old guard.
Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:
Dariush vs. Saint Denis Betting Odds
- Beneil Dariush victory: +170
- Beneil Dariush via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
- Beneil Dariush via submission: TBD
- Beneil Dariush via decision: TBD
- Benoit Saint Denis victory: -205
- Benoit Saint Denis via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
- Benoit Saint Denis via submission: TBD
- Benoit Saint Denis via decision: TBD
- Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
How Dariush Wins
Dariush is one of the best counter wrestlers in recent memory. A genuine jiu-jitsu ace with a background in competition grappling, Dariush has always been a better wrestler than most BJJ players transitioning to the cage. He compliments his ground skills with a vicious Southpaw Muay Thai attack that’s heavily reliant on power side offense like the left overhand, left kick, and left knee.
Dariush cannot allow himself to be bullied here. He’s the more skilled but less physically gifted fighter, so while he can’t match Saint Denis in a one-to-one exchange, he still has to put Saint Denis on the defensive. It’s not in Dariush’s nature to fight from his back foot anyway, so pressing forward is definitely his best path to victory. Ideally, he’ll draw a bad shot from “BSD” and look to reverse his takedown attempt, because Moicano showed that Saint Denis can struggle when placed on his back.
In this Southpaw duel, both men will have to adjust. Blasting left body kicks won’t work well, but the calf is open for the taking. I’d like to see Dariush really focus on using his jab and low kick to interrupt Saint Denis’ charges and start breaking him down, as winning the distance battle could definitely allow him to line up a takedown as well.
How Saint Denis Wins
Saint Denis is a marauder. He does his best work while pushing forward relentlessly, ripping left kicks, heavy clinch elbows, and nonstop takedowns. Once on top, Saint Denis is really nasty with his combination of ground strikes and submission attempts.
There’s a reason all 15 of his victories come via stoppage.
In this matchup, Saint Denis wants exchanges. He hits hard and has a rock-solid chin, whereas we’ve seen Dariush hurt on numerous occasions and even in plenty of his victories. He’s just never been the most durable man, whereas Saint Denis does his best work in grueling and bloody battles.
It’s important that Saint Denis doesn’t exhaust himself trying to wrestle, because Dariush is really good at stuffing shots. The focus instead should be on wrestling enough to gain the clinch and dirty boxing range, where physicality matters so much. In close quarters, Saint Denis has an advantage in his ability to deliver power shots, and he can really start to wear on his opponent.
Make it bloody, make it ugly, and score takedowns if they’re available — that’s how Saint Denis wins this fight.
Dariush vs. Saint Denis Prediction
Stylistically, Dariush has a massive edge here. He’s the more refined striker in a matchup likely to remain standing, and he’s better equipped on the ground if the fight should go there. Essentially, Dariush should be able to survive a Saint Denis takedown without too much issue, whereas Dariush in top position could really spell doom for “God of War.”
Unfortunately, he’s facing an equally massive physical disadvantage. Saint Dennis has made it abundantly clear that he’s a very strong Lightweight who’s able to bully weaker athletes. If Saint Denis plants his feet and starts slugging, I don’t know that Dariush will be able to avoid the brawl or withstand the onslaught.
Prediction: Saint Denis via knockout
