Benoît Saint-Denis calls surging lightweight his ‘dream fight’ and not Islam Makhachev

UFC lightweight contender Benoît Saint-Denis has a name in mind as his most desirable fight in the 155lb division, and it’s not Islam Makhachev.

Saint-Denis is looking to get his next UFC fight booked to attempt to get back on track in the stacked lightweight division title picture. He suffered a knockout loss to Dustin Poirier in his last outing at UFC 299, snapping a five-fight winning streak.

Before the loss to Poirier, Saint-Denis seemed destined for a lightweight title shot. After suffering from the jaws of defeat, he’s focused on making his comeback triumphant.

Saint-Denis is willing to fight all of the top contenders, as evidenced by recent callouts of Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and others. But if he had it his way, there’s one name he wants before he hangs up the gloves.

Benoît Saint-Denis calls Arman Tsarukyan his ‘dream fight’

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie‘s Farah Hannoun, Saint-Denis pointed to a future clash with Arman Tsarukyan as being at the top of his fighting wish list.

“I would love to face Arman Tsarukyan, it would be a great fight,” Saint-Denis said. “Obviously, he’s the No. 1 contender, but Makhachev isn’t the most active champion…a lot of stuff can happen in this division, so we’ll see what happens. But of course, the guy that can put me [as high] as possible, that’s what I’d love to do. If I fight against Arman, it would be perfect, but I’m not the UFC matchmakers and they’ll do their job.”

Tsarukyan is the consensus top contender and will likely face the Makhachev vs. Poirier winner next. He defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 to secure his spot at the top of the heap.

Saint-Denis is targeting a return to the Octagon at the UFC’s next Paris event on Sept. 2. He’s hinted at a possible clash with Dan Hooker as the most likely option.

Saint-Denis and Tsarukyan are two of the most promising young lightweight contenders in the UFC, and they’ll likely lead the way for years to come. As he prepares for his comeback fight, Saint-Denis has Tsarukyan firmly on his radar.