Kicking off the main card at UFC 315, Benoit Saint Denis delivered a dominant display to defeat his short-notice opponent, Kyle Prepolec.
Saint Denis was initially scheduled to fight Joel Alvarez but instead faced Kyle Prepolec, who was making his return hoping for a better outcome after a previous run in the UFC. Despite Prepolec`s evident toughness, Saint Denis proved too much, ultimately securing a brutal arm-triangle choke to finish the fight.
Prepolec tapped out at 2:35 of the second round, marking Saint Denis`s return to the win column following two consecutive defeats.
In his post-fight interview, Saint Denis thanked the Montreal crowd, stating, “It’s an honor and a privilege to fight here.” He then called out potential opponents in the lightweight division, including Mateusz Gamrot, Dan Hooker, and Justin Gaethje, specifically challenging Gamrot: “Gamrot, if you are looking for an opponent, I respect you but I’m going to bring violence.”
The fight began rapidly, with Saint Denis securing a takedown in under 20 seconds. Prepolec attempted a kimura to defend, but the powerful French fighter advanced his position and began landing ground and pound, including punches and elbows, while Prepolec struggled to escape.
A scramble resulted in Saint Denis taking Prepolec`s back, securing a body triangle. Though Prepolec showed resilience and survived a late standing rear-naked choke attempt, he made it to the end of the first round.
Early in the second round, Prepolec landed a couple of solid punches that visibly affected Saint Denis and excited the Montreal crowd. Saint Denis quickly responded by pushing Prepolec against the cage and unleashing a flurry of strikes.
This exchange led to another takedown. On the ground, Saint Denis wasted no time, immediately transitioning to secure the arm-triangle choke. Prepolec`s defenses crumbled, leaving him no option but to tap out, giving Saint Denis the submission victory.
Although it wasn`t the originally planned matchup, Saint Denis capitalized on the opportunity at UFC 315 and is now focused on challenging higher-ranked opponents in the lightweight division.
