St. Denis enjoyed a memorable UFC debut in 2021 for all the wrong
reasons. The Frenchman acquitted himself well in a tough pairing
against Elizeu
Zaleski dos Santos—up a weight class, no less—but he probably
should not have been afforded the opportunity to do so, with the
referee allowing him to suffer an extended beating before the bout
turned into a bit of a farce from an officiating standpoint. St.
Denis got a much more straightforward chance to show off his wares
in June, getting straight to his wrestling and grappling in an
impressive win over Niklas
Stolze. On home soil, St. Denis looks to continue his momentum
against a Brazilian newcomer in Miranda. “Fly” gets the late-notice
UFC call after nearly a decade as a professional, though little is
available in terms of recent film. What is there backs up his
reputation as a standout grappler, as does the fact that all but
one of his wins have come via submission. The fact that this is
strength against strength makes for an interesting pairing, but
with Miranda’s record also showing that he is somewhat dependent on
a quick finish, the bet is that as a skilled grappler himself and a
solid athlete, St. Denis can take this fight over as it goes into
deeper waters. The pick is St. Denis via third-round stoppage.
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