Benoit Saint-Denis is all set to headline his first UFC event in Paris this weekend. Being an ex-Marine Infantry Paratrooper, it is an incredible event for the homegrown hero. The #12 ranked lightweight will take on Renato Moicano in a much-anticipated bout. However, the French fighter appears to look past the fight and has plans to beat Islam Makhachev to achieve his ultimate dream.
After bouncing back from his loss in his UFC debut, Benoit Saint-Denis went on to amass a five-fight win streak. But his momentum was ruined by top contender Dustin Poirier, who knocked out him at UFC 299. So, now Saint-Denis has plans to beat the champion Islam Makhachev and then get his revenge against the Louisiana native.
The only way I’ll get a shot with him again is to take the belt from Makhachev’s waist and Then I’ll have some things that he hasn’t. So maybe we will do it back and forth.
Benoit Saint-Denis via SHAK MMA
Going into the fight at UFC 299 against the Louisiana native, ‘God of War’ had a staph infection. Fight fans noticed it when his official fight photographs were posted. The injury was quite gruesome and was the size of a hole in his forehead. According to BSD, the infection affected his fight and he was fighting in a dehydrated state.
⚡️😳Benoit Saint Denis wants to beat Islam Makhachev to get rematch with Dustin Poirier.
“The only way I’ll get a shot with him [Dustin Poirier] again is [If I will] take a belt from Islam Makhachev. Then I’ll have some things that he hasn’t. So maybe we will do it back and… pic.twitter.com/FpAVDRZqmE
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 25, 2024
However, Dustin Poirier didn’t really appreciate Saint-Denis’s comments and suggested the French fighter stay quiet instead of complaining. It seems like this might have led to Saint-Denis strongly developing a sense of revenge against the ‘Diamond.’ Nevertheless, his path to get that requires beating Islam Makhachev with whom Saint-Denis already has a history.
Benoit Saint-Denis accuses Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev of steroid abuse
Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s lightweight title reign was dominant as he defeated all the top opponents that the promotion threw at him. After his retirement, his team member, Islam Makhachev successfully carried the legacy by becoming the current lightweight champion. Makhachev also managed to beat everybody else and remains the pound-for-pound best in the world.
Benoit Saint-Denis accuses Team Khabib of using PEDs (via X)However, with all this success, they also faced several criticisms. One of the major ones is steroid accusations. In the past, Bobby Green also did the same after losing to Makhachev. Similarly, Benoit Saint-Denis in an interview with Uppercut MMA alleged Team Khabib of using steroids.
Regarding the Nurmagomedov family, for example, I no longer have any doubt: they are loaded like mules. They are intelligent in the way they do drugs, but they know how to do it very well. Makhachev was caught with meldonium, for example. This is a product that got the entire Russian Federation sanctioned and removed from the 2016 Olympics.
Benoit Saint-Denis via Uppercut MMA
Preparation is the key 👊@BenoitSt_Denis is leaving no stone unturned heading into #UFCParis pic.twitter.com/U5LzoWKDxN
— UFC (@ufc) September 22, 2024
The instance stated by BSD occurred in 2016 when Islam Makhachev was tested positive by USADA and suspended. However, this was resolved before UFC 302 and reported as a system failure rather than Makhachev’s error. However, the argument over Dagestani fighters supposedly utilizing steroids continues in the MMA community.
