UFC Fight Night Moicano vs. Saint Denis 9/28/24

“Money Moicano” is undefeated at 155 pounds since relocating to the division following a lengthy stay in the featherweight Top 15, having won three-in-a-row and five straight overall, with a catchweight loss to Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 272 the only recent blemish on his resume. The energetic and attacking Brazilian has earned finishes in four of those five wins, most recently overwhelming Jalin Turner at UFC 300, and looks to continue his push for a place in the Top 10 with another win here.

Saint Denis entered the year on a five-fight winning streak and was penciled in opposite Dustin Poirier in a fascinating matchup at UFC 299 in March. The 28-year-old started well in the co-main event engagement, but was stopped in the second, leaving him looking for a bounce-back effort as he competes in Paris for the third consecutive year. Individually, each of these men are action-oriented fighters that are constantly chasing the finish, even if that means absorbing punishment and getting into a bit of a dust-up. Pitting them against one another feels like a recipe for a Fight of the Night-type of battle and an electric way to close out what should be an entertaining night on the shores of the Seine. Ascending middleweights Nassourdine Imavov and Brendan Allen face off in the co-main event this weekend in Paris. Imavov returns to Paris on a two-fight winning streak, having followed up his emotional majority decision win over Roman Dolidze in February with a fourth-round stoppage victory over Jared Cannonier in June. The 29-year-old Russian fighter is 6-2 with one no contest in nine UFC appearances, and can further cement his position in the championship pecking order with a win on Saturday.

On the contrary, Benoit Saint-Denis aka the ‘God of War’ has a much more aggressive approach and fighting style and it is visible from the numbers that he lands more significant strikes at a rate of 5.70 per minute with 54% striking accuracy. Despite that, his defensive game performed at 42% has holes that Moicano can capitalise on. Saint-Denis grapples well, making approximately 4.76 takedowns in a 15-minute period with a 37% takedown accuracy which shows that he likes to control the bout on the ground. In a recent fight against Poirier, he proved himself to be a resilient fighter and emerged from it more experienced, perhaps hungrier. In a similar vein to Moicano’s event parallel, Kevin Jousset, competing in the welterweight division, shares a spotlight for his tactical acumen, providing a strategic narrative thread that enhances the anticipation for Saint Denis’ performance.