9 months after the KO, Dustin Poirier tells Benoît Saint-Denis: “He never…

By Joël Pütz | Sports journalist

Benoît Saint-Denis attempted the impossible last March, taking on Dustin Poirier before losing to the UFC legend. A few months later, the American came to add a layer on his fight against the former French soldier.

Did Benoît Saint-Denis move too quickly? We can seriously ask ourselves the question after a particularly difficult year 2024. A real phenomenon the previous year with three victories in five months, opening the doors to the Top 15 lightweights, the Frenchman has however struggled since then and remains in particular on a serious beating suffered against Renato Moicano on his own land, during the last UFC Paris.

Before that, however, the Nîmes had aimed even higher since he crossed swords with Dustin Poirier at UFC 299, last March. Beating the veteran, then ranked third in the category, would have allowed him to make a giant leap in the hierarchy… but visibly weakened by a staphylococcus infection, the former soldier lost in the second round after having suffered a terrible KO.

Dustin Poirier looks back on his fight against Benoît Saint-Denis

Since this fight, we cannot say that relations between Saint-Denis and his opponent are in good shape. The latter particularly did not appreciate that the Frenchman used his illness as an excuse, when he could have withdrawn from the confrontation. However, it was on another subject that Poirier attacked him recently, during his appearance on Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen’s podcast:

Daniel Cormier : He kept bringing you to the ground.

Dustin Poirier : He never took the ground, not once.

Daniel Cormier :Okay, he kept trying to get you to the ground. You tried the guillotine, but you still ended up on your back Dustin!

Dustin Poirier : It was I who brought myself to the ground!

The UFC legend is adamant BSD was never able to truly take him to the ground. It would in fact be Poirier’s efforts to subdue the Habs which would have been the cause… From there to knowing whether it is the truth or whether the American showed bad faith after his victory, it is impossible to be certain but fans disagree:

@CrispyLemonLime : Let’s be honest, he was taken down, without staphylococcus BSD would be ranked 5th

@ANTONIOEESPARZA : I’m Poirier’s biggest fan, but BSD knocked you down 3-7 times

@nuke_all_life : Dustin Poirier barely survived two straight wars with guys half dead from staph infections

Benoît Saint-Denis had impressed with his ability to put Dustin Poirier on the ground, before his KO… but in the eyes of “The Diamond”, it would in fact be nothing more than window dressing. Not really enough to help the French fighter’s affairs…