Benoit Saint Denis delivered a commanding performance, defeating late replacement opponent Kyle Prepolec to open the main card at UFC 315.
Saint Denis was initially scheduled to fight Joel Alvarez but instead faced Kyle Prepolec, who was making his return to the UFC hoping for a better outcome after a previous run. Despite Prepolec`s clear toughness, Saint Denis ultimately proved too much, securing a decisive arm triangle choke for the victory.
Prepolec submitted at the 2:35 mark of the second round. This win marks Saint Denis`s return to victory after experiencing consecutive defeats.
After the win, Saint Denis addressed the crowd, saying, “Everybody thank you Montreal. It’s an honor and a privilege to fight here.” He then issued a challenge to potential opponents like Matuesz Gamrot, Dan Hooker, and Justin Gaethje, adding specifically to Gamrot, “Gamrot, if you are looking for an opponent, I respect you but I’m going to bring violence.”
Saint Denis wasted no time, securing a takedown within the first 20 seconds. Prepolec attempted a kimura submission to counter the strong French fighter, but Saint Denis quickly improved his position and began landing heavy punches and elbows on a defensive Prepolec.
A subsequent scramble saw Saint Denis take Prepolec`s back, locking in a body triangle. Prepolec managed to survive this threat. Saint Denis continued his attack, attempting a standing rear-naked choke towards the end of the round, but Prepolec successfully defended until the bell.
As the second round began, Prepolec landed a couple of solid punches that caught Saint Denis`s attention and excited the Montreal crowd. Saint Denis responded by pushing Prepolec against the cage and unleashing a flurry of strikes.
This exchange resulted in another takedown for Saint Denis. This time, he didn`t allow Prepolec space, quickly transitioning to secure the arm triangle choke. Prepolec`s defense was broken, leaving him no option but to tap out, giving Saint Denis the submission victory.
Although this wasn`t his original scheduled bout at UFC 315, Saint Denis made the most of the opportunity and is now focused on finding his next opponent among the lightweight rankings.
