Overview
- The lightweight bout opens Saturday’s UFC 322 main card at Madison Square Garden, a placement that could reshape the division’s next matchups.
- DraftKings lists Saint-Denis as a -205 favorite over Dariush at +170, yet picks from figures like Dustin Poirier lean toward Dariush.
- UFC rankings place Dariush at No. 9 and Saint-Denis at No. 13 entering fight week.
- Dariush snapped a skid by outpointing Renato Moicano in June, while Saint-Denis is 2-0 in 2025 with back-to-back submissions after adding an MMA head coach.
- Dariush frames the matchup around a grappling edge against a pressure finisher, as Saint-Denis maintains his “seek and destroy” approach with added tactical discipline.