UFC lightweight Benoit Saint Denis revealed he was on antibiotics for an infection prior to his UFC 299 fight with Dustin Poirier, which he believes affected his performance during the second-round knockout loss.
Benoit Saint Denis, a notable UFC lightweight, admitted he was on borrowed time. His crucial UFC 299 bout with Dustin Poirier was looming.
After a second-round knockout loss, Saint Denis took to Instagram. He revealed he’d been on antibiotics for an infection before the fight. Consequently, his body didn’t react as usual during the Saturday match.
“Sadly, I couldn’t fully express myself tonight,” he penned (translated via Google). “My body didn’t respond after a week of antibiotics to fight an infection.”
He was mentally there, but his body wasn’t. It didn’t react as usual. “I only had one round to give you,” he confessed.
Saint Denis almost overpowered Poirier in the first round. The fight took place at Miami’s Kaseya Center on Saturday. But Poirier, in the second round, caught the French fighter with a well-timed counter. This led to a knockout victory at 2:32 of the second round.
Poirier later revealed his strategy. He let Saint Denis burn energy early, doubting he could maintain his relentless pace for five rounds. UFC’s CEO praised Poirier’s decision to fight the lower-ranked competitor. He called his performance “the s*** that makes you a f****** legend.”
Before the fight, MMA fans speculated online. They wondered if Saint Denis had a staph infection. They pointed to a possible abscess on his forehead that seemed to be healing.
Saint Denis confirmed he had a health issue before the fight. He said the opportunity was too good to pass up, though.
“Sorry to have disappointed you,” he wrote. “I’ll come back stronger. Thanks to Dustin for accepting this fight. It was impossible for me not to seize the opportunity of such a fight. Thanks everyone for the support. Thanks to my team and my family.”
UFC 299 marked Saint Denis’ second setback. He debuted with a loss to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at UFC 267. Then, he won his next five matches, generating buzz. This culminated in a highlight-reel knockout of Matt Frevola at UFC 295 last November.