Benoît Saint Denis lost to Renato Moicano by TKO, during UFC Paris 3 on September 28, 2024. The French fighter, too injured in the eyes, was stopped by the doctor.
Stupor at Bercy. Powerless for two rounds, Benoît Saint Denis lost after a medical decision (TKO) against Renato Moicano during the main event of UFC Paris 3, Saturday September 28 at the Accor Arena in Bercy. Severely injured in the eyes, the Frenchman was prevented by the doctor from resuming the fight in the third round. This is the third defeat of his career in this competition, six months after his failure against Dustin Poirier.
Things went wrong in the first round, after only about thirty seconds. Renato Moicano took advantage of a bad left kick from his opponent to put the latter on the ground. From there, Benoît Saint Denis found himself on his back and could only endure a multitude of blows to the head.
Unable to extricate himself from this situation, Benoît Saint Denis finished the first round with a bloody face. But it wasn’t just about the brow bone. Within minutes, a huge hematoma had formed under his left eye, while his right eye no longer seemed to open.
Standing despite injuries
These impressive injuries did not prevent him from returning to the fight for the second round, during which he tried to stay on his feet and not take any blows. But before starting the third round, the UFC doctor intervened to talk with him and the referee. And after a quick examination showing that Benoît Saint Denis could no longer open his right eye, the sentence fell: end of the fight, victory for Renato Moicano.
This is another setback for Benoît Saint Denis, who was already looking to get back on track after the setback at UFC 299 in Miami. This fight in the French capital, his first main event, was a great opportunity to put himself back in the lightweight title race. Now he is under threat of dropping out of the top 15.
