Benoit Saint-Denis admits reason behind UFC 299 loss revealing his 'body was absent' - Bloody Elbow

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Benoit Saint-Denis has shared his reaction to the loss against Dustin Poirier, claiming his ‘body was absent’ after a week of antibiotic treatment.

The French lightweight contender dominated the opening round with his superior grappling skills but suffered a devastating KO at the hands of ‘The Diamond’ in the second round of their UFC 299 co-main event.

Reacting to the defeat on social media, Saint-Denis thanked Poirier for giving him such an opportunity on the world stage and admitted that his body abandoned him after a week of antibiotic treatment to treat an infection.

UFC 299: Poirier v Saint Denis — MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 09: (R-L) Benoit Saint Denis of France works for a submission against Dustin Poirier in a lightweight fight during the UFC 299 event at Kaseya Center on March 09, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Benoit Saint-Denis reveals reason behind UFC 299 loss to Poirier

By the end of the first round, everything appeared to be going to plan with Saint-Denis’ grappling skills dominating the opening stages of the fight and Poirier being lamented by his team for repeatedly trying to finish the Frenchman with a guillotine.

Yet in the second round, Poirier was able to land a devastating right hook flush on Saint-Denis, sending the surging contender to the canvas and the Miami crowd into uproar.

The 28-year-old has now taken to social media to share his immediate reaction to the disappointing loss to Poirier, admitting that rumors surrounding an infection were true and that the course of antibiotics impaired his performance:

“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. I only had one round to give you.”

Whilst unconfirmed, it is thought that these antibiotics were treating the rumored staph infection that fans had spotted on the head of the ‘God of War’ earlier in the week. If true, it would be reasonable to assume that this was one of the reasons why Saint-Denis appeared to fatigue much quicker than many expected.

Saint-Denis also apologized to fans for not being able to make the most of his early momentum but promised to come back stronger than ever as he looks to bounce back from only his second-ever professional loss.

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“Sorry to disappoint you, 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.”

Speaking on the ESPN post-fight show, Poirier recognized that Saint-Denis felt strong in the opening round, but quickly identified that the Frenchman wouldn’t have the cardio to last all five rounds:

“It’s still chaotic inside [the] octagon for me even though I’ve been doing this a long, but I could hear him straining and squeezing. I could feel the nervousness in him, and I was just thinking the longer this goes I’m going to start picking this guy apart.”

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Tom Llewellyn

Tom Llewellyn is GRV Media’s Head of Combat Sports and a lifelong MMA fan. In fact, his first introduction to the sport was reading Bloody Elbow a decade ago, as the website helped ignite his passion for martial arts with in-depth analysis and exciting news revelations. Watching the UFC is his biggest passion in life and Tom proudly boasts that he hasn't missed a PPV event in eight years. He closely follows fighters on X (Twitter) to uncover the latest news, unpacks interviews and press conferences with expert analysis, and monitors podcasts for exclusive stories. Tom has been a part of GRV Media for four years, spending the majority of his time desperately hoping the company would open a combat sports website. Finally, he has the chance to combine editorial experience, MMA knowledge and strong UFC opinion to help grow the brand he has loved for 10 years - and counting.