Tag: Benoit Saint-Denis

Dustin Poirier thinks Benoit Saint Denis’ staph infection revelation is a bad look

Dustin Poirier thinks Benoit Saint Denis should have kept quiet about his staph infection.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] should have kept quiet about his staph infection.

After Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) knocked out Saint Denis in the second round at UFC 299 earlier this month, the Frenchman revealed that he entered the fight with staph infection on his forehead, which he says hampered his performance.

The infection was visible on his head during fight week, but Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) later shared images which showed the worst stages of it. Poirier is not a fan of Saint Denis making excuses.

“You say those type of things like ‘I had an infection, I was battling something,’ you say that when you win, you don’t say that when you lose,” Poirier told USA TODAY Sports’ Mackenzie Salmon.

“I’ve gone into so many fights with staph infection, with fractured foot, with lacerated bicep, staph infection in my ear – all kinds of stuff. That’s fighting. We’re on the mats every day. Everybody has something going on going into fights, but you can’t say that when you lose. You’ve got to hush it up.”

With UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev looking to return in June, Poirier has now emerged as a potential title contender. The remaining lightweight contenders are currently tied up, with Justin Gaethje defending his BMF title against Max Holloway at UFC 300, and top contenders Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan also squaring off on the April 13 card.

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Benoit Saint Denis says antibiotics hurt UFC 299 performance: ‘I only had one round to give’

Benoit Saint Denis claims he was not at 100 percent when he stepped in the octagon against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 299 co-main event.

[autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] claims he was not at 100 percent when he stepped in the octagon against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 299 co-main event.

After putting together a five-fight stoppage streak in the lightweight division, Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) got a massive step up in a matchup with former interim champ Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) on Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Saint Denis came out on fire, putting pressure on Poirier with his striking and grappling to win the first round. He tried to maintain that in the second frame, but Poirier got his dangerous boxing off and scored a brutal knockout to conclude the Fight of the Night on the card.

It was somewhat puzzling in the moment that Saint Denis put on such a relentless pace in a fight scheduled for five rounds. However, he said that’s the only strategy he could attempt to execute, because antibiotics in the lead-up to the fight sapped his energy.

“Unfortunately this evening I was not able to fully express myself,” Saint Denis wrote on Instagram. “My body didn’t keep up after a week of antibiotics to fight an infection. Throughout I was present but my body absent, it did not react as usual. I only had one round to give you.

Sorry to have disappointed you, I will come back stronger, thanks to Dustin for accepting this fight. It was impossible for me not to seize the opportunity of such a fight.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4VAw5mOljP/?igsh=NjM4cnMwZXczbDVt

Saint Denis, 28, did not disclose the exact reason why he was on antibiotics and what was wrong with him.

Ultimately, he could not get the job done, and succumbed to the first stoppage loss of his career against the future UFC Hall of Fame inductee Poirier.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

UFC 299 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Sean O’Malley’s $42,000 tops card

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 299 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $359,000.

MIAMI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 299 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $359,000.

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 299 took place at Kaseya Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 299 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Michael Page[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: $21,000;

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Katlyn Cerminara[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rafael dos Anjos[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Josh Parisian[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Joanne Wood[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Maryna Moroz[/autotag]: $11,000

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 2011 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: $1,362,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,069,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Dustin Poirier def. Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Dustin Poirier’s second-round knockout win over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]’s second-round knockout win over [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] at UFC 299 at Kaseya Center in Miami. (Fight and venue photos by Sam Navarro, USA Today Sports; UFC; and Getty Images)

UFC 299: O’Malley vs. Vera 2 watch-along live stream with MMA Junkie Radio

Join MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a live-streamed watch-along of UFC 299 in Miami.

UFC 299 takes place Saturday headlined by a bantamweight title fight rematch, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live-streamed watch-along right here, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

In the main event, bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) makes his first title defense against [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC), with the champ looking to avenge his only loss, which came against “Chito” by TKO in 2020. The co-headliner is a five-round lightweight showdown between veteran [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) and rising contender [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself on a big stage.

UFC 299 takes place at Kaseya Center in Miami. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

Below is the lineup of fights included in the watch-along:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera – for bantamweight title
  • Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis – five rounds
  • Kevin Holland vs. Michael Page
  • Gilbert Burns vs. Jack Della Maddalena
  • Yadong Song vs. Petr Yan

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes
  • Maycee Barber vs. Katlyn Cerminara
  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Mateusz Gamrot
  • Pedro Munhoz vs. Kyler Phillips

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

UFC 299: Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 299 odds between Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 5-round lightweight bout in the co-main event, Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint-Denis meet Saturday at UFC 299 at Kaseya Center in Miami. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC 299: Poirier vs. Saint-Denis odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The early prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET, and can be viewed on ESPN+. The prelims begin at 8 p.m. ET, and can be viewed on ESPNews/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET, and is on pay-per-view.

Records: Poirier (29-8-0) | Saint-Denis (13-1-0)

Poirier looks to bounce back after falling to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 last time out in late July. He is just 1-2 in his past 3 bouts, also falling to Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 in a 3rd-round submission to lose his chance at the welterweight strap. He did have a solid submission win over Michael Chandler at UFC 281, however. Each of his past 5 fights have finished inside the distance.

Saint-Denis has picked up 5 straight victories since losing to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at UFC 267 in his debut with the company. The Frenchman, a.k.a. “God of War”, has 3 KO/TKO wins and 2 submission wins since that setback to EZDS. That solid win streak includes a 1st-round KO/TKO over Matt Frevola at UFC 295 in just 91 seconds last time out in mid-November.

Saint-Denis holds a slight 1-inch reach advantage, and he is 7 years younger than the underdog. The significant strikes landed per minute is nearly identical, with Saint-Denis holding an ever-so-slight 5.53-to-5.49 advantage, although he is much more accurate at 61.36%. He also has a tremendous 4.55 takedown average and 1.40-to-1.21 submission average.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC 299: Poirier vs. Saint-Denis odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:10 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Poirier +165 (bet $100 to win $165) | Saint-Denis -200 (bet $200 to win $100)
  • Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -105 | Under -125)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +300 | No -500)

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UFC 299: Poirier vs. Saint-Denis picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Saint-Denis (-200) will cost you 2 times your potential return, and that’s quite a bit of risk against a veteran like Poirier (+165).

While Poirier is just 4-3 in his past 7 fights, the losses have been against the best of the best in the division. This certainly won’t be easy for Saint-Denis. However, the southpaw Frenchman should get the job done with his tremendous punching ability, and playing SAINT-DENIS BY KO/TKO, DQ OR SUBMISSION (-150) is a strong play.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (-105) is a solid play. While we’re not picking Poirier to win, he certainly won’t go quietly into the Miami night, either. Saint-Denis will have to work, and work hard to get the knockout.

Don’t expect to see this one end until at least Rounds 3 or 4. As such, playing ROUND 3 (+450) and ROUND 4 (+600) for the exact round the fight will end is worth a look. While you’ll obviously lose 1 of the bets, if the fight ends in Rounds 3-4, you’ll still be quite a bit ahead.

No (-500): Will the fight go the distance? costs you 5 times your potential return, and that’s just too much risk for not nearly enough value.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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UFC 299 ‘Embedded,’ No. 6: ‘Your worst nightmare is about to come true’

In the final installment of UFC 299 “Embedded,” Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera exchange heated words in final faceoff before title fight.

The UFC is back for its third pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 299 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.

In the main event, bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) makes his first title defense against [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC), with the champ looking to avenge his only loss, which came against “Chito” by TKO in 2020. The co-headliner is a five-round lightweight showdown between veteran [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) and rising contender [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself on a big stage.

Also featured on the main card is the debut former Bellator star [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) against [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (25-10 MMA, 12-7 UFC) in a welterweight bout; [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) vs. [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in another welterweight showcase; and former bantamweight champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) looking to get back on track against rising Chinese star [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (21-7-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC).

The sixth and final episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champion Sean O’Malley and opponent Marlon “Chito” Vera wrap up their weight cuts. Michael “Venom” Page gets a visit from Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Athletes make weight on Friday. Curtis Blaydes has lunch with his team before ceremonial weigh-ins.

Also watch:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

UFC 299: O’Malley vs. Vera 2 preview show live stream with Farah Hannoun (5 p.m. ET)

Before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a live-streamed preview of UFC 299.

UFC 299 takes place Saturday headlined by a bantamweight title fight rematch, but before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a preview show right here at 5 p.m. ET.

In the main event, bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) makes his first title defense against [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC), with the champ looking to avenge his only loss, which came against “Chito” by TKO in 2020. The co-headliner is a five-round lightweight showdown between veteran [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) and rising contender [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself on a big stage.

UFC 299 takes place at Kaseya Center in Miami. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

Below is the full lineup of fights:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera – for bantamweight title
  • Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis – five rounds
  • Kevin Holland vs. Michael Page
  • Gilbert Burns vs. Jack Della Maddalena
  • Yadong Song vs. Petr Yan

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Jailton Almeida vs. Curtis Blaydes
  • Maycee Barber vs. Katlyn Cerminara
  • Rafael dos Anjos vs. Mateusz Gamrot
  • Pedro Munhoz vs. Kyler Phillips

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Philipe Lins
  • Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Michel Pereira
  • Robelis Despaigne vs. Josh Parisian
  • Asu Almabaev vs. CJ Vergara
  • Maryna Moroz vs. Joanne Wood

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

UFC 299 ceremonial weigh-ins faceoff video: Dustin Poirier tells Benoit Saint Denis ‘Let’s go!’

Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint Denis are letting their highlight reels do the talking ahead of UFC 299 in Miami.

MIAMI – Trash talk, grudges, and hatred weren’t part of the equation in getting fight fans excited for UFC 299‘s co-main event.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) and [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) have let their highlight reels do the talking for them ahead of Saturday’s clash at Kaseya Center. The two lightweight contenders will fight in a five-round, non-title fight that could have major implications for the division.

Friday, the two fighters came face-to-face during the ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs where the intensity and respect remained.

Watch the ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoff video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

UFC 299 ‘Embedded,’ No. 5: Sean O’Malley plays girl dad on way to press conference

In the fifth installment of UFC 299 “Embedded,” Sean O’Malley and his family make their way to the press conference with plenty of fanfare.

The UFC is back for its third pay-per-view of 2024, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 299 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.

In the main event, bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) makes his first title defense against [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC), with the champ looking to avenge his only loss, which came against “Chito” by TKO in 2020. The co-headliner is a five-round lightweight showdown between veteran [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-8 MMA, 21-7 UFC) and rising contender [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself on a big stage.

Also featured on the main card is the debut former Bellator star [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) against [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (25-10 MMA, 12-7 UFC) in a welterweight bout; [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] (22-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) vs. [autotag]Jack Della Maddalena[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in another welterweight showcase; and former bantamweight champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) looking to get back on track against rising Chinese star [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (21-7-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC).

The fifth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Dustin Poirier sits with DC; Michael “Venom” Page and Marlon Vera work out. Gilbert Burns gets some custom kicks. Joanne Wood readies for a new chapter. Fans turn it up at the presser with Dana White, champ Sean O’Malley and more.

Also watch:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.