After a dominant opening stanza, St. Denis suffered a knockout loss against Dustin Poirier at the 2:32 mark of Round 2 in Saturday’s co-main event at the Kaseya Center in Miami. Afterward, the “God of War” took to Instagram to reveal that antibiotics may have hindered his performance as the fight progressed.
“Unfortunately this evening I was not able to fully express myself,” St. Denis wrote (via Google Translate). “My body didn’t respond after a week of antibiotics to fight an infection.
“Throughout I was present, but my body was absent. It did not react as usual. I only had one round to give you.”
Before the fight, there were visible signs on St. Denis's head, raising speculation about a possible staph infection. While St. Denis didn't disclose details about his condition, his post-fight statement implies that he competed in a compromised state.
“Sorry to disappoint you. I will come back stronger. Thanks to Dustin for accepting this fight,” St. Denis wrote. “It was impossible for me not to seize the opportunity of such a fight.”
Leading up to his clash with Poirier, St. Denis had an impressive record of five consecutive victories in the UFC, all finishing inside the distance. Poirier expressed confidence in St. Denis's ability to bounce back during the UFC 299 post-fight press conference.
“He has the ability. He’s proven it with all of his wins,” Poirier said. “This is his first time getting finished. His first loss was to a welterweight, not on a full training camp on short notice. He’s still young. Obviously he has the mental fortitude to do it. He’s a military veteran, so he’s been through some things. If he decides to do it, I think he can. If he keeps evolving, getting better, he’ll be right back where he was.”
Reference: https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Benoit-St-Denis-Claims-PreFight-Antiobiotics-Hindered-Performance-at-UFC-299-192922
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