Overview
- Beneil Dariush weighed 71.3 kg at the official weigh-in, 544 grams over the lightweight limit, resulting in a 20% purse payment to Benoît Saint-Denis so the bout could go on.
- A pre-fight melee involving Dillon Danis and Islam Makhachev delayed the card by about ten minutes, and security ejected Danis from Madison Square Garden.
- Saint-Denis successfully made weight and ended the main-card opener with a sharp left hand, producing the fastest UFC knockout by a French fighter according to event reports.
- The victory is expected to move him into the lightweight top 10, with Dana White indicating immediate talks and Saint-Denis signaling title ambitions, saying he wants to bring a belt to France.
- UFC awarded Saint-Denis a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for the 16-second finish.