Benoit Saint Denis is still scheduled to compete at UFC 315 this Saturday despite his original opponent, Joel Alvarez, being forced off the card due to a hand injury.
On Monday, UFC officials confirmed that Saint Denis will now face returning lightweight Kyle Prepolec. Prepolec previously had a two-fight stint with the promotion in 2019, where he went 0-2. News of this change was initially reported by Aaron Bronsteter via Twitter.
Prepolec, who holds an overall professional record of 18-8, makes his return to the UFC having compiled a 4-1 record since his last appearance. He is currently enjoying a three-fight winning streak, with all of those victories ending by knockout.
Prepolec will attempt to maintain his winning momentum against Saint Denis, who is considered a top prospect in the lightweight division. Saint Denis himself is looking to bounce back after suffering two consecutive losses.
Before these recent defeats, Saint Denis had an impressive streak of five straight wins, finishing all five opponents either by knockout or submission. This strong run led to a significant fight against former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier. Their bout was a fierce contest, but ultimately Saint Denis lost by second-round submission.
Despite the loss to Poirier, Saint Denis`s performance earned him Fight of the Night honors.
Following the Poirier fight, Saint Denis suffered another loss to Renato Moicano at the UFC event in France last September. His upcoming fight against Prepolec on Saturday marks his first appearance in 2025.
UFC 315 is headlined by the welterweight championship bout between champion Belal Muhammad and challenger Jack Della Maddalena. The co-main event features flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defending her title against French striker Manon Fiorot.
The final fight order for UFC 315 has not yet been announced. While Saint Denis was originally slated to open the pay-per-view main card, it remains uncertain if he will retain that slot with Prepolec stepping in as a replacement opponent.
