UFC Paris: Moicano vs. Saint-Denis Fight Card, Predictions, & Odds

An exciting showdown between ranked lightweight contenders will be headlining the upcoming UFC Paris card this weekend as Renato Moicano and Benoît Saint-Denis throw hands inside the Accor Arena in France.

BONJOUR PARIS 👏🇫🇷#UFCParis fight week is HERE!

[ Live Saturday on ESPN+ | B2YB @BlockassetCo ] pic.twitter.com/SBTYjuNDrx

— UFC (@ufc) September 23, 2024

Despite riding a three-fight win streak and being the higher-ranked contender, Moicano will head into the match as the betting underdog with +210 UFC odds. On the other hand, Saint-Denis is the -260 betting favorite due to his 100% finish rate.

Renato Moicano Recent Fight Results

Moicano is a 10-year UFC veteran who first made his octagon debut in December 2014. He was a former featherweight contender who moved up in the 155-pound weight class in March 2020. Since moving to the lightweight division, he has won six of his eight fights to earn a spot in the top 15 rankings.

This black belt is BACK in action 😤@MoicanoUFC headlines #UFCParis this Saturday!

[ Watch on ESPN+ | 3pmET/12pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/IdsBEXF0ho

— UFC (@ufc) September 23, 2024

In his past five fights, the Brazilian MMA star has won four of them and defeated the likes of Alexander Hernandez (via submission in February 2022), Brad Riddell (via unanimous decision in November 2022), Drew Dober (via unanimous decision in February), and most recently, Jalin Turner (via TKO in April).

Benoît Saint-Denis Recent Fight Results

Saint-Denis was an undefeated fighter when he joined the UFC in 2021. But he had a rude welcome in the promotion, as Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos handed him a unanimous decision loss in his debut. Since then, he went on a five-fight win streak and earned a reputation as one of the most vicious finishers in the lightweight division.

France's own looks to make another statement 😤@BenoitSt_Denis steps into his first main event this weekend at #UFCParis !

[ Live on @ESPNPlus | SAT | 3pmET/12pmPT ] pic.twitter.com/bVbZotroq9

— UFC (@ufc) September 23, 2024

The “God of War” scored victories over Niklas Stolze, Gabriel Miranda, Ismael Bonfim, Thiago Moisés, and Matt Frevola. Saint-Denis had the biggest fight of his UFC career when he was matched against former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier in March, but he came up short and suffered a second-round knockout defeat.

Renato Moicano vs. Benoît Saint Denis: Tale of the Tape

Renato Moicano vs. Benoît Saint-Denis: Fight Analysis

The tale of the tape between Moicano and Saint-Denis is almost identical, with only an inch of reach (in favor of Saint-Denis) and 2.5 inches of leg reach (in favor of Moicano) separating them because they are the same height of 5-foot-11.

Another massive difference is their age, with Moicano being seven years older than Saint-Denis at 35. This can account for an advantage for Moicano in terms of experience, but it could also spell a youth and athletically inclined edge for Saint-Denis.

Both fighters are very well-rounded stylistically, but Moicano has a more substantial grappling base in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which he can use to capitalize during the match. Along with his elite submission arsenal, the Brazilian also has decent striking that could hang against any contender in the division.

Meanwhile, Saint-Denis can compete in grappling and striking, but the latter is his bread and butter. He got his fight nickname due to his incredible one-shot knockout power, and he hopes to showcase this again this weekend against Moicano to move him up the divisional rankings.

With the atomic power he holds on his strikes, Saint-Denis could be a massive factor in this upcoming bout, especially when Moicano decides to stand and trade with the French MMA star. Add the fact that they will fight in front of Saint-Denis’ home crowd, and it might be a quick night in the office for the 28-year-old contender.

Official Prediction: TKO/KO victory for Benoît Saint-Denis.