UFC Fight Night Moicano vs. Saint-Denis Preview and Predictions

On Sep. 28, the UFC makes a triumphant return to France that will showcase a prolific showdown between two top 15 lightweights! This event will mark the UFC’s third visit to France since September of 2023 that featured a clash between heavyweight Ciryl Gane and Serghei Spivac.

The main event will feature a lightweight clash between top lightweights Renato Moicano and Benoit Saint Denis. Renato Moicano is currently riding a three fight win streak and will look to secure a high profile matchup if he emerges victorious this Saturday. On the other hand, Benoit Saint Denis is coming off a fight of the night battle with top UFC lightweight veteran Dustin Poirier. Although he suffered a second knockout defeat, Saint Denis is ready to jump back into the octagon and continue his rise in the always great 155 division.

The co-main event features yet another high profile matchup between top 10 middleweights Nassourdine Imavov and Brendan Allen. Imavov most recently secured a fourth round TKO victory over Jared Cannonier and earned a top five middleweight ranking. Allen is currently riding a seven fight win streak and can find himself in a top contender matchup if he is able to defeat the French native Imavov on home turf.

The card also features a number of French combatants including Kevin Jousset and Farez Ziam. A number of French born fighters will take center stage and hope to emerge victorious in front a hometown crowd.

UFC Fight Night Moicano vs. Saint–Denis airs live in its entirety on ESPN+ starting at 12 p.m. ET. Combat Press writers Andrew Sumian and Matt Petela preview the action in this week’s Toe-toe-Toe.

Benoit Saint-Denis came up short against former interim champion Dustin Poirier in his last fight; can he successfully rebound in front of a home crowd against Renato Moicano?

Sumian: This is certainly one of the better main events for a UFC fight night than we are used to. In his last outing, Saint-Denis proved he is capable of hanging with the top tier lightweights and decisively won round one before being finished in extraordinary fashion by veteran Dustin Poirier. It is reasonable to say that this came down to a matter of experience and should only make Saint-Denis better in his future UFC appearances. On the other hand, we have the surging Renato Moicano who continues to market himself as an entertaining personality due to his viral promos and in-cage victories. The main event for Saturday should deliver in more ways than one and leave the Paris fans begging for more.

Saint-Denis’s rise prior to Dustin Poirier was special. He finished all five of his opponents in impressive fashion and showed his ability to not only knock people out, but proficiently grapple. The France native took on a huge step up in competition when facing Poirier and succumbed to the veterans crafting boxing in round two. Nevertheless, it was not a bad performance by up and coming Saint-Denis who showed his strength, athleticism and powerful top grappling one round one. Saint-Denis paths to victory include utilizing his strength to dominate his opponents on the feet and ground before securing a finish. If he can do so on Saturday, then victory is there for the taking.

December will mark the 10 year anniversary of Renato Moicano’s UFC career and it has been nothing short of entertaining, to say the least. The crafty Brazilian has had his fair share of success in the octagon, but has also suffered from major setbacks when it comes to facing elite competition. Nevertheless, the 35 year old finds himself on a three-fight win streak after defeating Jalin Turner at UFC 300. Moicano is willing to stay patient and find ways to secure a victory as the fight progresses. He has no doubt shown in toughness and can find himself facing a top five opponent with an impressive victory.

This bout is going to come down to patience versus strength. Saint-Denis will need to finish Moicano early given his cardio issues and Moicanos ability to improve as the fight progresses. For Moicano, it will come down to weathering the early storm of Saint-Denis and securing a finish in the second half of the fight. Despite Saint-Denis having an obvious power advantage in this fight, I am going with the veteran Moicano in this one. Similar to the Turner fight, he will survive BSD’s early onslaught and secure a submission victory in the second half of the fight.

Petela: I have to admit that I am biased towards my own ego on this one. While watching Benoit Saint-Denis take a hellacious beating in his UFC debut I told anyone and everyone within earshot that he would be a UFC Champion before the end of his career, making him only the second debutant about which I had ever staked such a claim. The other is Arman Taarukyan, who just might prove me right and if so be prepared for a hint of an I told you so every time I mention his name. Imagine how hyped I was when I heard about Saint-Denis’s fight with Dustin Poirier, thinking that a win might put him in position for a title shot. While that loss set him back it showed fans that when the opening bell rings he can compete with any fighter on the planet.

All that being said, I think Saint-Denis will shine under the bright lights and added pressure of a home country main event. I mean the guy was a special forces operator, I doubt a fist fight is going to overtake his emotions no matter the stakes. First round knockout from Saint-Denis as he blitzes forward to overwhelm Moicano early and does not relent until the referee pulls him off of his opponent.

Nassourdine is a favorite to defeat American standout Brendan Allen; does the French fighter score a win and excite the home crowd?

Petela: I don’t think so. Brendan Allen will play spoiler and take all the air out of the arena. He has won seven straight fights and avenged his loss to Chris Curtis the last time he stepped foot in the cage,not to mention the victory he picked up over Marvin Vettori outside of the recent PFL event. The 28 year old is hitting his physical prime and is putting his skills together nicely. While he does rely heavily on his grappling, Allen is much more than a one trick pony. His hands are crisp he uses them well in order to avoid danger and to close distance where he can get the fight into his realm and get to work on the ground.

Imavov has won two in a row and he is certainly a highly talented fighter but he is meeting Allen at the wrong time. Imavov tends to go full bore early on in fights and then slow down later on in fights. That’s where this one will go awry for him. After a closely contested first few rounds, Allen will score a takedown from the clinch on an exhausted Imavov, slash right through his guard and latch onto an arm-triangle choke that ends the fight.

Sumian: This is a fantastic co-main event for a fight night. However, neither of these men are poised to be UFC champions given their resumes. Brendan Allen is currently riding a seven fight win streak but none of these opponents have been the top tier of the middleweight division. Imavov has also recently found success and secured the biggest victory of his career against Jared Cannonier in June of 2024. This one hard to pick given both fighters haven’t taken the next step in regards to becoming elite middleweights.

That being said, I am going to go with Imavov pulling off a split decision victory in what should be a back and forth fight for all three rounds.

What one fighter’s UFC career is on the ropes at this event?

Sumian: Ion Cutelaba. He is 1-4 in his last five UFC outings and has consistently shown he is far too emotional when it comes time to fight. If he suffers a loss to Ivan Erslan, his time in the UFC could be over.

Petela: Roosevelt Roberts. He is in his second stint with the UFC and he lost his last fight and also missed weight. He is coming into this fight with two strikes against him and if he doesn’t get his hand raised it will likely be the end of his second run with the promotion.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

Petela: Fares Ziam vs. Matt Frevola. Do you remember that boring Matt Frevola fight? Me neither. Win or lose, the guy brings the action and puts himself in danger to try and end fights. I couldn’t say with any real confidence how this one ends but I know that it will be exciting for as long as it lasts.

Sumian: Ludovit Klein and Roosevelt Roberts should be a fun one. I expect Klein to come out on top but Roberts is a formidable dance partner and will help make this one of the best fights of the night.

Who takes home the “Performance of the Night” honors?

Sumian: Renato Moicano. He will once again find a way to secure a victory after taking on BSD’s early onslaught. Expect the Brazilian to cut an entertaining promo and call out a top five lightweight.

Petela: Ailin Perez. She is on a roll with three straight wins, though all by decision. To really become a breakout star she needs a finish to really excite some fans. That’s what she gets this weekend. A knockout win over Darya Zheleznyakova and a little post-fight dance will be enough to leave a lasting impression and score her a post-fight bonus.

Pair this card with…

Petela: This fight card is going to be all about Benoit Saint-Denis reestablishing himself as a lightweight contender. Therefore, pair this card with a traditional celebratory French dish like Coq au Vin. For small town folks like myself it sounds mighty fancy but it’s really just braised chicken cooked with wine and mushrooms. Not the most difficult thing to make but it sounds cool and it’ll impress your guests.

Sumian: Some French baguettes. If you plan on watching this card with a group, serve up some french baguettes accompanied with cheese and cold cuts which will surely get your group in the French fighting spirit!