Tag: Benoit Saint-Denis

Mauricio Ruffy calls for Benoit Saint-Denis following UFC 309 win

Mauricio Ruffy calls out veteran Benoit Saint-Denis after his decision win at UFC 309.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] is whom [autotag]Mauricio Ruffy[/autotag] wants to meet in the octagon for his next UFC outing.

Ruffy, one of the most promising rising fighters at 155 pounds, called out the gritty veteran following his victory at Saturday’s UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden. Ruffy (11-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) defeated James Llontop (14-5 MMA, 0-3 UFC) in a unanimous decision that served as the opener of the pay-per-view main card.

For Ruffy, Saint-Denis is a logical next step, and a step fans would very much enjoy in his career.

“The guy is coming off two losses and people are looking at me and starting to point the finger and say, ‘This guy is coming up,'” Ruffy said at the UFC 309 post-fight press conference. “I think it will be a really good fight, and it’s not even coming from me. A lot of people online and on social media would like that fight to happen. I think it will be a great fight. I hope he takes it.”

Ruffy hasn’t had an easy road to get to the octagon. The Fighting Nerds product was supposed to fight Charlie Campbell on Saturday, but his rival withdrew from the fight days away from the event. Llontop ended up stepping in on short notice, but the fight was moved to a catchweight, which Llontop missed weight for.

“It’s been a mix of learning experiences,” Ruffy said. “You talk about six months: six months of camp, six months of dieting, six months of getting prepared for fights that didn’t happen. A lot of learning experiences, but I do want to thank the UFC for the opportunity to be here at a card in Madison Square Garden. I learned a lot and I took a lot from these experiences.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030788]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Video: How surprising was Renato Moicano’s beatdown of Benoit Saint Denis at UFC Paris?

Who saw this coming from Renato Moicano in enemy territory at UFC Paris? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

[autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] entered UFC Fight Night 243 looking to reestablish himself as a legitimate lightweight contender on his home turf, but [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] had other plans as he won their main event in Paris by second-round TKO.

Moicano’s win might not have come by surprise to many, but the way in which he won sure did. He took down Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) just 23 seconds into the fight and proceeded to batter him with hard elbows and punches for the rest of the first round, splitting him open all over his face. The fight saw a Round 2, but the damage was too much to let it continue into the third, resulting in a doctor stoppage TKO win for Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC).

Given the circumstances and setting around the fight, just how surprising was Moicano’s beatdown of Saint Denis? Our “Spinning Back Clique” of Nolan King, Dan Tom and Brian “Goze” Garcia answer that and more with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above, and check out this week’s entire episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

[lawrence-related id=2775020,2774972,2774927,2774945]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

SBC REPLAY: Renato Moicano’s surge, UFC antitrust settlement, UFC 307 preview, more

On the latest episode of “Spinning back Clique,” we discuss Renato Moicano’s Paris win, UFC antitrust settlement, preview UFC 307, and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Nolan King, Dan Tom, Brian “Goze” Garcia, and special guest John Nash will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • UFC Fight Night 243 is in the books. The promotion’s trip to Paris, France saw lightweight contender [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] pick up a big win in the main event over [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag]. Where does this win put Moicano in the division? How will his shoulder injury affect what’s next? What about Saint Denis? Where does he go from here after a devastating loss?
  • The UFC has reached a new settlement in its antitrust case. We welcome in guest John Nash, who has been following the case closely to discuss the latest developments. Is the $375 million settlement a surprise? Will the judge approve it? Is this better or worse for the fighters? Where does the case go from here? We discuss it all.
  • UFC 307 is here. UFC light heavyweight champ [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] faces [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] in the main event. In the co-feature, [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] puts her women’s bantamweight title on the line against [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag]. What are the chances we see one or two titles change hands? [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] is also in action against [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]. Will a win get her the next title shot? What is the UFC doing with [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]? Does he have one more title run in him?

[lawrence-related id=2774945,2774737,2774072]

Benoit Saint Denis reacts to UFC Paris loss to Renato Moicano: ‘This sport is hard, but incredible’

Benoit Saint Denis released a statement following his stoppage loss at UFC Fight Night 243.

[autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] released a statement following his stoppage loss at UFC Fight Night 243.

Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) suffered a Round 2 doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Renato Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) in this past Saturday’s main event at Accor Arena in Paris. Saint Denis was beat down on the ground in Round 1, suffering serious damage to both eyes.

He was able to rebound well in Round 2, but at the end of the round, his face was a bloody mess. The doctor checked on him, and deemed him unfit to continue after Saint Denis struggled to see. “The God of War” chalked off his performance to a slow start which cost him.

“A big thank you to everyone for your support, it was absolutely unbelievable to be here,” Saint Denis said through an interpreter (h/t UFC). “Unfortunately, in that first round I came out and I was a little bit sleepy, and it allowed him to do enough damage to then play the Matador in the later rounds. So, I’m sorry for that. I’ll come back stronger. Sorry for that performance, but I was proud to represent the flag.”

Saint Denis later issued a statement on his Instagram, addressing his fans in French.

“It wasn’t my day, this sport is hard but incredible,” Saint Denis said. “Thank you to everyone for your unwavering support. Proud to have been able to represent France in the octagon and at home. Respect to my opponent for facing me at home, and congratulations to Renato Moicano. God tests us, and that’s nothing to compare with what I could experience.”

“Ce n’était pas mon jour, ce sport est dur mais incroyable.

Merci à tous pour votre soutien indéfectible. Fier d’avoir pu représenter la France dans l’octogone à la maison 🇫🇷.
Respect à mon adversaire de m’avoir affronté à la maison et félicitation à lui @renato_moicano_ufc .

Dieu met des épreuves sur notre chemin et celle là n’est rien comparé à ce que j’ai pu vivre 🙏🏼.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAfylgLOpfk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

After notching five straight finishes, Saint Denis has now been stopped in back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and Moicano.

[lawrence-related id=2774972,2774933,2774075]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

Renato Moicano invites Benoit Saint Denis to train at ATT after UFC Paris: ‘He needs to get out of his comfort zone’

Renato Moicano thinks Benoit Saint Denis needs a change in training scenery if he wants to snap his two-fight losing skid after UFC Paris.

[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] needs a change in training scenery if he wants to snap his two-fight losing skid after UFC Fight Night 243.

After scoring a second-round doctor’s stoppage TKO win over Saint Denis (13-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) on Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris, Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) extended an olive branch for his most recent opponent to come into his gym at American Top Team in South Florida.

“I invite Benoit Saint Denis to come to our gym, to train with us and I can guarantee he’s going to be another fighter,” Moicano told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 243 post-fight news conference. “He needs to get out of his comfort zone in my opinion. But I think he’s a great fighter and he’s still young. The problem is, they give him Dustin Poirier and ‘Money’ Moicano in a row. We are a different level now. But I think eventually he’s going to get there.”

Moicano said he thinks quite highly of Saint Denis. However, the limitations in the Frenchman’s game that Moicano saw during preparation also appeared in reality, and that’s going to be problematic if Saint Denis wants to reach the next level of the lightweight division.

The advice from Moicano is genuine, and he hopes Saint Denis will take it seriously.

“I really respect Benoit Saint Denis and what he did in this division,” Moicano said. “I think he’s very strong. I think he’s young. But I think he needs to work on his game. Because what makes him dangerous is what makes him vulnerable. He puts too much pressure. If he can touch you, he’s going to break you. But if he cannot touch you, it’s easy to see. Especially watching his fights and watch the way he stands up with fighters, he’s always going 100 percent. I was talking to my coaches that once I get this guy down, he’s going to make everything sweat and he’s going to be gassed, and that’s what happened.”

[lawrence-related id=2774945,2774737,2774072,2774075]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Benoit Saint Denis after UFC Fight Night 243 loss?

Just like that, Benoit Saint Denis is on a two-fight losing skid with an adjusted reality on his future after a UFC Paris loss to Renato Moicano.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Renato Moicano after UFC Fight Night 243 win?)

[autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] has experienced a sudden change in fortune following his loss to Renato Moicano in the UFC Fight Night 243 main event.

After winning five consecutive fights in the lightweight division, Saint Denis (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has now been stopped in consecutive bouts following a second-round doctor’s stoppage TKO defeat to Moicano (20-6-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) in the headlining act at Accor Arena in Paris.

Saint Denis is still only 27, but will be forced to go back to the drawing table and figure out what he needs to do to reach the next level.

How can he do that? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Saint Denis’ future after UFC Fight Night 243.

[lawrence-related id=2774075,2774110]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

Renato Moicano fought through shoulder injury at UFC Fight Night 243

Renato Moicano’s shoulder was still disfigured when he stepped into the UFC Paris cage.

[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] dominated [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] in brutalizing fashion Saturday en route to a doctor’s stoppage win.

But despite his domination, Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) was dealing with some battle wounds of his own, from training camp for UFC Fight Night 243.

According to Moicano and confirmed to MMA Junkie by his manager Oren Hodak of KO Reps, the Brazilian fighter suffered a shoulder injury approximately one month prior to the bout. Hodak provided a pair of images of the injury to MMA Junkie.

After the fight, veteran reporter Kevin Iole tweeted an X-ray and image of Moicano’s shoulder. Moicano then confirmed the injury on social media shortly thereafter.

“I hurt my shoulder 3 weeks ago… but I couldn’t pull out of a main event,” Moicano wrote on X. “… Thank you my team for helping me training like that [to] get me ready for the fight.”

While Moicano nor his team specifically confirmed the injury diagnosis, the x-ray provided appears to show an AC joint separation. Many AC joint separations do not require surgery, however, medical professionals may recommend high-caliber athletes go under the knife in some cases, according to the Institute for Athletic Medicine.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

UFC Fight Night 243 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Renato Moicano’s $16,000 among top earners

UFC Fight Night 243 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 243 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $173,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 243 took place at Accor Arena in Paris. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 243 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Nassourdine Imavov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]William Gomis[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Joanderson Brito[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bryan Battle[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Jousset[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Morgan Charriere[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gabriel Miranda[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Fares Ziam[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Matt Frevola[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Ivan Erslan[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Oumar Sy[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Da Woon Jung[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ludovit Klein[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Roosevelt Roberts[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Darya Zheleznyakova[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Taylor Lapilus[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vince Morales[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Daniel Barez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victor Altamirano[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jacqueline Cavalcanti[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nora Cornolle[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chris Duncan[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Bolaji Oki[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2431 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,895,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $28,632,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

Renato Moicano responds to Paddy Pimblett’s UFC callout: ‘Don’t accept the fight’

Renato Moicano repeatedly called for Paddy Pimblett. After UFC Paris, the tables turned.

The roles are reversed following UFC Fight Night 243.

[autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] has called for a fight vs. [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] for months. But after his TKO of [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] on Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris, Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) was the one being called out by Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

“Let’s do this,” Pimblett wrote on Instagram, tagging Moicano in the caption.

Upon hearing of this challenge, however, Moicano discouraged Pimblett from taking the fight if it were actually offered.

“Please don’t accept the fight,” Moicano said at a post-fight news conference. “I’m going to hurt you. I’m going to elbow your skull.”

Pimblett has voiced openness in the past about fighting Moicano. But as one of the most called-out fighters in the UFC today, he’s seldom called for matchups himself. Saturday was a rarity in that regard, and Moicano hopes to capitalize to the maximum, possibly with a coaching gig on “The Ultimate Fighter.”

“I think it’s going to be a huge exposure,” Moicano said. “Right now, I’m looking for exposure. I’m looking for cameras because I’ve been in the UFC for 10 years. This year will be 10 years. Three years ago, nobody knew me. Nobody knew me, and I always work hard. I always have put in the work. But it doesn’t matter if you’re the best fighter in the world nobody knows. I want more cameras. I want more people talking about my name in MMA because that way I can bring more attention, and I can make my case to fight for the belt eventually.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAejwgtOtgF/

Pimblett isn’t the only one on Moicano’s radar, though. Before Pimblett’s name was brought up, Moicano mentioned Dan Hooker as “easy money.”

Regardless of who’s next, Moicano wants to be taken seriously. He’s won four in a row, but Moicano said his momentum carries back further than that.

“Everybody is talking about how, ‘Now, you have four wins in a row.’ No, I have six wins in a row in the lightweight division,” Moicano said. “I only lost to Rafael dos Anjos at 160. That’s not lightweight. That’s a catchweight. Go to the top 15 and see somebody with six wins and five finishes. People cannot deny me anymore. I’m 35 years old. I don’t have much time, so now it’s time to go. I want to beat Dan Hooker or Paddy Pimblett or somebody else and fight for the title.”

[lawrence-related id=2774431,2774075,2774110]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

UFC Fight Night 243 results: Benoit Saint Denis can’t see after brutal Renato Moicano beatdown

Benoit Saint Denis’ face was grotesque after the first five minutes at UFC Paris.

[autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] made it through two rounds with [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] but the accumulated affect of a brutal opening five-minute beatdown prevented him from continuing.

The UFC Fight Night 243 main event was stopped Saturday after Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) was deemed unable to see by the cageside physician following Round 2 in the lightweight bout. As a result, Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) was named victor by TKO at Accor Arena in Paris (via X):

Just 23 seconds into the fight, Moicano took down Saint Denis. One minute later, he had Saint Denis’ back and a body triangle locked. Eventually, he shifted to mount where he blasted Saint Denis with hard elbows, splitting him open on multiple parts of his face.

Saint Denis hung tough and did just enough to avoid a stoppage, but between rounds there was no hiding the damage he sustained. The swelling was bad, but not as bad as it was five minutes later after Saint Denis and Moicano fought a lackadaisical second round.

Between Round 2 and 3, the cageside physician didn’t let crowd pressure effect the outcome of his vision exam on Saint Denis. He deemed the French fighter unable to continue and referee Marc Goddard waved off the bout.

With the victory, Moicano continues to pocket “big checks” – just as he likes. The win was his fourth in a row and sixth in his most recent seven outings. He called out Paddy Pimblett and Dan Hooker, as well (via X):

For Saint Denis, the loss was his second in a row. In March, Saint Denis was knocked out by Dustin Poirier in a wild brawl at UFC 299.

[lawrence-related id=2773433,2774110]

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 243 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.