Benoit Saint Denis thinks his loss to Dustin Poirier earlier this year made him a better fighter.
Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) will look to prove it Saturday when he competes for the first time since his second-round knockout defeat to “The Diamond” in March when he meets Renato Moicano (19-6-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 243 headliner at Accor Arena in Paris (ESPN+).
The Frenchman is the star of the event on his home soil, and it’s a chance to show the result against Poirier wasn’t a defining peak in his career. In fact, he sees it as a pivotal point of education for how he can keep climbing even higher.
“The last time I didn’t take any pleasure because of the success (I was having in) becoming a huge fighter on the roster,” Saint Denis told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “You kind of become your own CEO with your staff and everything, and it’s a lot of stuff to manage. It brings stress, and it brings a lot of stuff, and I didn’t have the experience to manage all of that. I took time to become a fighter again and having a lot of pleasure in fight camp and doing what I do love. It is giving the people a good fight and the fight I paid for. I am ready.”
Saint Denis, 28, revealed following the bout with Poirier that he had been dealing with a staph infection in the lead-up. He failed to meet his standard for performance, and seeing that unfold was part of his shift in mentality.
“A lot of stuff happened with that fight,” Saint Denis said. “It has been bringing me a lot of lessons. I need to come 100 percent healthy to the fight. Most important part of the training camp is to be ready for the fight. Not before or not after. Being healthy and taking a lot of pleasure in training. … I think when a fighter has pleasure training, he has pleasure fighting and he will fight better.”
Saint Denis, No. 14 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, will have the chance to find out if his adjustments will translate into a winning effort against another proven opponent in No. 15-ranked Moicano, who has won five of his past six.
“I know he’s a warrior and it’s going to be a tough matchup, but it’s the kind of fight that excites me,” Saint Denis said. “It’s the kind of fight that shows the best fighters in the world. That is what we are here. … I have a big statement to make. The only way to do it is to do it inside the cage. That what’s I am looking for.”
If Saint Denis is successful in his statement, he will likely find himself back on the trajectory that led to him being matched up with a former interim UFC champion like Poirier.
“The style you win in the octagon is what gives you the opportunities you deserve,” Saint Denis said. “I’m not going to talk before beating him. You will know (what I want) when business is done.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.
