Benoint Saint Denis (image via UFC / YouTube)

By FCF Staff

During the final days ahead of UFC 299, some observers questioned if Benoit Saint Denis could be battling a staph infection, and it turns out the answer was yes.

The French fighter showed up for fight week with marks on his forehead, which prompted online speculation as to whether it was staph. The rising lightweight faced Dustin Poirier at the March 9th event, and was stopped by the renowned fighter in round two.

More recently, Saint Denis appeared on “The MMA Hour”. While doing so, the 28-year-old reported that he was fighting a staph infection as UFC 299 neared and that the issue impacted his weight cut (quotes via MMA Fighting.com).

“The last sparring session, I had this ugly stuff on my forehead,” Saint Denis said. “It was two days before leaving France, last Friday was the last sparring session. I had been leaving Saturday. Out of respect for everybody, you have to take treatment when you notice something like that.

“….“I was tired the whole week with the staph infection,” Saint Denis said. “Maybe this is also my fault. I came in a bit too heavy. With the treatment I took, the weight was not going down as [easily] and I had two more kilograms to cut before the weight cut, and it was too difficult. I paid the day after. I had no reflexes. I was out of form.”

After the opening round, Poirier proceeded to put Saint Denis away with a series of punches in the second frame.

“The worst fight week,” Saint Denis added. “I had very bad news for my health. I just couldn’t cancel. It can happen to everybody to be sick during fight week. We have two legs and two arms, we are human, we are not robots. I was hoping with the treatment that I took for my staph infection, I was hoping that after five days of taking antibiotics, I would be in good health, at least 90 percent and be ready to have this huge opportunity and to be able to give him a good fight also. Because out of respect for him. I would love to have a bit more energy to give him more than five minutes.”

Saint Denis (13-2) was riding a five-fight winning streak before the loss to Poirier. The former special forces member was coming off a first-round, knockout of Matt Frevola in November, before getting booked to fight Poirier.

UFC 299 took place in Miami, Florida.