Benoit Saint-Denis has admitted that a pre-fighting disease last year was not the only reason behind his brutal setback against Dustin Poirier.
Saint-Denis has endured a difficult 2024 in the Octagon. While he came in as a rapidly rising competition after five straight victories, he left it on a two-fighter loss Skid and with many to his potential.
The first setback came against a legend of the sport at UFC 299 in Miami. After a difficult first round against the Frenchman, Poirier Saint-Denis played in round two.
In the aftermath, 'God of War' set the result on the Staph infection that he fought in the run-up to Poirier and the antibiotics he took to heal it.
But a brutal Beatdown six months after UFC 299, Saint-Denis warned of the real problem that got hold of his career.
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Benoit Saint-Denis admits that a lack of a head coach has contributed to his loss against Dustin Poirier
During a recent performance at the Ariel Helwani show, Saint-Denis thought about his difficult run last year after he returned on Saturday with a entry victory over newcomer Kyle Prepolec on UFC 315.
The misery of the French star was exacerbated after the Poirier loss, when Renato Moicano went to Paris and Saint-Denis tore for his home fans.
While the disease in Miami had masked the negative effects of actions if his own head coach had masked, the one-sided result against Micano opened the eyes of Saint-Denis.
“With the Poirier fight I always had it in my head that I was sick and that's why I lost, but it's not entirely true,” said Saint-Denis.
“The Micano fight was a very humiliating experience. It brought me to know that you can't fight without a strategy and without knowing exactly what kind of fight you want to make and what kind of struggle you want to arrange.”
Victory at Benoit Saint-Denis earned Dustin Poirier a UFC title shot
Because Saint-Denis went through a difficult time after UFC 299, Poirier noticed that he was pushed in an earlier unlikely third shot to reach the undisputed mountain top in the UFC Lightweight Division.
'The Diamond' challenged Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 302 last June, giving the Dagestani a point for his money before he was submitted in the fifth and final round.
After he again missed the UFC light weight gold, Poirier then thought about retirement, but later went into a final farewell in the cage in 2025.
His wish to have that fight in his home was granted because the Louisianan is in the main event of UFC 318 in the main event of UFC 318 in the main event of UFC 318 in July.
Although many saw the narrow losing effort against Makhachev last year as a strong way for Poirier to go out, he hopes to end a memorable career with a Come Fight Night victory in the Smoothie King Center.