Benoit Saint-Denis recently admitted that a pre-fight illness was not the sole reason for his difficult defeat against Dustin Poirier earlier this year.
Saint-Denis faced a challenging period in the Octagon during 2024. He began the year as a fast-rising contender after five consecutive victories but subsequently ended up with two straight losses, leading many to question his trajectory.
His first setback came against a sport legend at UFC 299 in Miami. Following a tough initial round for the Frenchman, Poirier finished Saint-Denis with a knockout in the second round.
In the aftermath, ‘God of War’ attributed the outcome to a staph infection he battled in the lead-up to the fight with Poirier and the antibiotics he was taking for treatment.
However, a significant loss approximately six months after UFC 299 highlighted a more fundamental issue that was hindering Saint-Denis`s career progress.
Saint-Denis Acknowledges Not Having a Dedicated Head Coach Played a Role
Speaking recently on The Ariel Helwani Show, Saint-Denis reflected on his difficult run, which he recently ended with a submission victory over newcomer Kyle Prepolec at UFC 315 on Saturday.
The French star`s troubles deepened after the Poirier loss, when Renato Moicano traveled to Paris and decisively defeated Saint-Denis in front of his home crowd.
While the illness before the Miami fight might have concealed the negative effects of effectively coaching himself, the one-sided result against Moicano served as a wake-up call for Saint-Denis.
Saint-Denis stated, “Regarding the Poirier fight, I always thought being sick was the reason I lost, but that`s not entirely accurate.”
He added, “The Moicano fight was truly humbling. It reminded me that you can`t go into a fight without a clear strategy, without knowing exactly how you want the fight to unfold and what kind of contest you want to engage in.”
Dustin Poirier`s Victory Over Saint-Denis Led to a Title Opportunity
While Saint-Denis experienced a difficult period after UFC 299, Dustin Poirier was unexpectedly propelled into his third opportunity to compete for the undisputed UFC lightweight championship.
`The Diamond` challenged Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 302 last June, providing a tough test before ultimately being submitted in the fifth and final round.
Having missed out on capturing the UFC lightweight title once more, Poirier initially contemplated retirement but later committed to a final bout scheduled for July 2024.
His wish for this fight to take place in his home state was granted; the Louisiana native is set to compete for Max Holloway`s symbolic BMF title in the main event of UFC 318 in New Orleans this July.
Although many viewed his close losing effort against Makhachev last year as a commendable potential conclusion to his career, Poirier aims to finish his memorable journey with a victory come fight night inside the Smoothie King Center.
