NEW YORK – [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] is thankful for the opportunity he’s getting this weekend.
Getting a fight with a ranked opponent in the UFC is not an easy thing, and Saint-Denis will finally face someone in the UFC’s official lightweight rankings as he takes on [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag] this Saturday on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 295.
Saint-Denis (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) respects Frevola (11-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) for accepting the fight considering he’s currently unranked.
“I like the guy because he took the challenge right away,” Saint-Denis said at UFC 295 media day. “He is taking a risk because he’s ranked, and I’m not. I believe he likes challenges, and he’s not afraid to brawl or go against me, so it will be a great fight.
“I’m expecting a tough guy. He’s well rounded, he has good cardio, and he believes in himself like I do. It’s a fight between two tough guys.”
Saint-Denis, a native of France, will be fighting in enemy territory as Frevola is from New York. The Frenchman has no issue with fighting Frevola on his home soil because he’s used to it by now in his career.
“In France, it got legalized very late, so I only fought twice in France for the UFC,” Saint-Denis said. “Before that, I was traveling all around the world to get fights because in France I couldn’t, so I’ve always been booed, and I’ve only been cheered in Paris. It’s not a problem for me. I like that.”
[lawrence-related id=2694113,2693957,2693680]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.