Overview
- Benoît Saint-Denis made the lightweight limit for UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden, while Beneil Dariush came in at 71.3 kg, 544 grams over.
- Bout officials confirmed the fight will proceed after Dariush agreed to surrender 20% of his purse to Saint-Denis.
- Local reporting estimates the forfeiture at roughly €51,600 based on Dariush’s typical payout of about $300,000.
- Saint-Denis enters ranked No. 13 against No. 9 Dariush, and any post-fight ranking movement will be determined by the UFC’s media voters rather than by automatic promotion.
- The matchup caps a 2025 resurgence for Saint-Denis following a difficult 2024, with the Frenchman crediting coach Nicolas Ott for technical and tactical improvements.