With swollen eyes and a bloody face, Benoit Saint-Denis suffered a second setback in a row, beaten on doctor’s orders by the Brazilian Renato Moicano, Saturday in Bercy during the main fight of UFC Paris.
Ciryl Gane and Manon Fiorot absent from the card, it was Benoît “God of War” Saint-Denis who played the role of star of the evening for the third visit to France of the UFC, the largest and most prestigious league of mixed martial arts in the world.
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Despite the absence of the two best French fighters, the now annual meeting was still full, and the spectators, with Léon Marchand at the edge of the cage, once again electrified the Accor Arena.
But the party was spoiled for the 16,000 spectators at Bercy when the UFC doctor entered the cage just before the third round. After examining Saint-Denis, whose swollen face was covered in blood, he ended the hostilities, while the two fighters had each won a round.
Entering the stage shortly before midnight, the Frenchman, as usual, cut through the crowd at the Accor Arena to the sound of commando chants, a nod to his military past, and the emblematic “Seine-Saint-Denis Style” from NTM.
But the “Benoit! Benoit!” from the public or the Marseillaise started during the second round were not enough.
“I will come back stronger”
From the first moments, Nîmes was outrageously dominated. Pinned to the ground, the Brazilian’s strong point, he took numerous blows to the face, open in several places. Diminished but valiant, he still dominated the second round, but was then no longer able to resume the fight, unrecognizable under his blistered eyelids.
“Unfortunately, I was a little sleepy in the first round,” admitted Saint-Denis. He did what he had to do to create enough damage. Sorry for that, I’ll come back stronger, I’m sorry and well done to him.”
Saint-Denis, 12th among lightweights before the fight, suffered a second defeat in a row and the third of his UFC career.
However, he had to win to resume his journey in the lightweight category, six months after a defeat by KO. against the legend Dustin Poirier. Reduced by a staphylococcus infection, “BSD” then suffered a first setback by losing by KO. in the second round, when he remained on five victories
At 28 years old and after meteoric progress in mixed martial arts, the Frenchman has established himself as one of the French stars of the discipline, but will now have to redeem himself to resume his path in the category.
A few moments earlier, Nassourdine Imavov, scheduled as co-main event, had beaten the American Brendan Allen. The “Sniper”, ranked fourth in the world, was unanimously declared the winner of the judges 29 to 28 against Allen (8th).
Imavov, who was competing in his third fight in seven months, thus won a third consecutive victory against a member of the top 10, after two other convincing successes against Jared Cannonier and Roman Dolidze.
He now hopes to be offered a chance for the world belt, currently held by South African Dricus Du Plessis.
