UFC 299 is in the books and what an event we’ve had. Quite possibly a front-runner for one of the best PPV events in a long time, the fans will certainly be walking away satisfied after this one. Notably, one of the main talking points that emerged after the event is about Benoit Saint Denis.
For those unaware, the ‘God of War’ took on Dustin Poirier in the co-main event of UFC 299. On the night, there was a lot of expectation from the Frenchman to come good on his opportunity to break into the lightweight top 5. At the same time, owing to the streak of finishes in his past five fights, Benoit was seen as the favorite for this fight.
THE DIAMOND GETS THE KO IN ROUND 2 😤#UFC299 | @DustinPoirier pic.twitter.com/DouV3eQeKD
— UFC (@ufc) March 10, 2024
However, things went far from ideal for Saint Denis who looked very slow and sluggish during his fight. Unable to find his rhythm, the 28-year-old could not establish his position in the fight. Eventually, he would go on to succumb to a 2nd Round flatline knockout at the hands of Dustin Poirier.
Benoit Saint Denis opens up about his UFC 299 performance
Naturally, it was entirely possible that Benoit Saint Denis could lose the fight at UFC 299. However, his performance, especially near the end of Round 1 and in Round 2 was hardly impressive. Not only did his movements seem labored, but he looked like he was close to gassing out, despite any major activity.
Since the fight, Saint Denis has taken to his Instagram to explain his lackluster performance on the night. “Unfortunately tonight I couldn’t fully express myself. My body didn’t keep up after a week of antibiotics to fight an infection”. According to the fighter, the antibiotics meant that his body began tiring much easier and that he could only really give one proper round to the fight.
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Coming into fight week, Benoit’s staph infection had been spotted quite early on. As such, many were expecting that the fight would be called off. However, things went ahead, with the Frenchman getting cleared to fight. Thus, he even stated that despite the situation, he could not pull out owing to the magnitude of the fight. In the end, it affected his performance and resulted in a back-breaking loss to Dustin Poirier.
Fans react to Benoit Saint Denis’ statements after UFC 299 loss
For the most part, it is a common occurrence to have fighters come out and give an explanation as to why their performance was not up to the mark. Thus, many were not surprised to see Benoit Saint Denis come out with a statement regarding the same. As always, there was a mixed reception to what the fighter had to say.
Whilst supporters of the fighter praised him for fighting despite his condition, other slammed him for making excuses after an embarrassing loss. As such some fans wrote along the lines of “He show up, try his best against one of the best ever…no shame in lost. He will be back and do great things for sure!” On the other hand, others were less forgiving and wrote comments like, “Still got fraud checked, back to the prelims he goes”.
All things considered, it is clear that Benoit Saint Denis has a lot more to give. Despite the recent loss to Poirier, he is still a relatively new name and if he wishes to could become a mainstay at the top of the division in a few year’s time. In the meantime, he will need to rest, recover, and find an opponent for his next fight when possible.