Benoit Saint-Denis Injury: French Star Admits Infection & Antibiotics Cost UFC 299 Glory vs. Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier was on fire today. The Louisiana native proved once again why he is considered one of the best in the game. Despite his status as the underdog, Poirier knocked out Benoit Saint-Denis in the second round. The Diamond shattered Saint Denis’s undefeated streak to assert his dominance in the division.

There was a bit of a worry from the MMA community considering Poirier’s future as he was considering retirement soon but it seems like The Diamond’s gonna stay in the game for quite some time. However, things don’t seem to have been so easy for Saint-Denis, as he spoke on his loss and why it happened, despite the odds stacking up in his favor.

Benoit Saint-Denis blamed his bad health for his brutal defeat against Dustin Poirier

The opening exchanges between the fighters saw a barrage of powerful leg kicks from both sides. The momentum took a turn when th͏e Fre͏nch seized ͏control of Poirier’s back,͏ prompting ‘The Diamond’ to counter with a crafty submission attempt. Despite their ground game, the two contenders swiftly returned to a standing position, with Saint-Denis maintaining an assertive offense.

However, Saint-Denis’ strategy to subdue Poirier seemed to fade away as soon as the latter took control of the game. In the second round, Poirier through a barrage of massive strikes knocked ‘God of War’ out of the park. Interestingly, Poirier has never lost two fights in a row in his professional career.

After the defeat, Saint-Denis took to social media to raise an apology to his fans and state the reason for his defeat. He wrote “Hello France, Unfortunately, tonight I couldn’t fully express myself. My body didn’t keep up after a week of antibiotics to fight an infection. Throughout I was present but my body was absent, it did not react as usual.”

He further added “I only had one round to give you. Sorry to disappoint you, but I will 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 my team and family.” Despite this, the fight showcased a masterclass by Poirier. Now the question lingers. What next for ‘BSD’ and Poirier?

What’s after UFC 299 for Poirier and Saint-Denis?

The Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis clash was like a meeting of the old era with the new one. Poirier got the interim lightweight belt when ‘God Of War’ made his debut in professional MMA. The contrast between their experience is as big as the Hoover Dam and today’s fight was evidence of it. So what’s next for them?

Read More: Watch: Dustin Poirier Knocks Out Benoit Saint-Denis and Exchanges Words With Dana White & Donald Trump at UFC 299

With this win, Poirier seems to be inching closer to the lightweight title but Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje are much closer to the title than him. The MMA community could witness Dana White giving Poirier a chance for the title after the Oliveira and Gaethje fight against Islam Makhachev.

We may observe Benoit Saint-Denis competing in the division for quite some time before he has the opportunity to vie for the title. Arman Tsarukyan, Beneil Dariush, and Rafael Fiziev could be Denis’s potential opponents. However, the happening and non-happening of the fights solely depends on the situation. What do you think is likely?

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