“I was like, sh*t!" - Dustin Poirier admits he was shook by level of success Benoit Saint Denis was achieving against him in first round

Dustin Poirier recently acknowledged being rattled by Benoit Saint Denis and what he brought to the table in the first round of their fight.

The former interim lightweight champion returned to the octagon last Saturday with a stunning second-round knockout of Saint Denis in the co-main event of UFC 299, held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

Poirier's decision to face the lower-ranked Saint Denis left many fans astonished, but he saw it as an opportunity to meet a new challenge head-on. As the fight unfolded, the American's words rang true, and the clash lived up to its expectations. 'God of War' emerged like a whirlwind in the opening round, determined to suffocate Poirier.

During his recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, 'The Diamond' conceded to feeling unsettled by the Frenchman's performance in the initial round:

"I was surprised at how much success he was having in the first round. He was riding me off, you know... I was like, sh*t!."

Poirier further asserted that Saint Denis never scored a takedown; rather, he willingly went down to attempt submissions himself:

"But I'll never stop jumping guillotines. He never took me down rather, I took me down, like five times."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (8:20):

'God of War' set the tone as the aggressor, relentlessly advancing on his opponent right from the opening bell. Despite Poirier's multiple attempts at guillotine chokes, none of which found their mark.

However, after landing a punch early in the second round, the Louisiana native opted for another choke attempt. Yet, he swiftly abandoned the submission strategy when a well-timed counter left hand sent Saint Denis reeling. Rather than pursuing a submission, Poirier sealed the deal with a barrage of punches.

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Dustin Poirier predicted Benoit Saint Denis would bring heat

In his post-fight backstage interview with the UFC, Dustin Poirier delved into his victorious performance against Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299. 'The Diamond' stressed that despite the appearance of a frenzied brawl, the conclusion was the product of dedicated training and refined technique:

"We practiced this in the back, and I know UFC has the footage because the camera was back there. We were practicing catch, catch, fire the hook, catch catch, fire the hook. He fought my buddy Thiago Moises, and when he got Moises against the fence, he starts throwing these combinations from the hip, gunslinging, and his chin’s in the air."

He added:

"He’s a decent puncher and a big guy, but he throws everything into every shot with not the best technique. But, we saw a lot of openings, and I really felt that right hook was gonna be there. And boy, was it."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (2:35):