Benoit Saint Denis released a statement following his stoppage loss at UFC Fight Night 243.
Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) suffered a Round 2 doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Renato Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) in this past Saturday’s main event at Accor Arena in Paris. Saint Denis was beat down on the ground in Round 1, suffering serious damage to both eyes.
He was able to rebound well in Round 2, but at the end of the round, his face was a bloody mess. The doctor checked on him, and deemed him unfit to continue after Saint Denis struggled to see. “The God of War” chalked off his performance to a slow start which cost him.
“A big thank you to everyone for your support, it was absolutely unbelievable to be here,” Saint Denis said through an interpreter (h/t UFC). “Unfortunately, in that first round I came out and I was a little bit sleepy, and it allowed him to do enough damage to then play the Matador in the later rounds. So, I’m sorry for that. I’ll come back stronger. Sorry for that performance, but I was proud to represent the flag.”
Saint Denis later issued a statement on his Instagram, addressing his fans in French.
“It wasn’t my day, this sport is hard but incredible,” Saint Denis said. “Thank you to everyone for your unwavering support. Proud to have been able to represent France in the octagon and at home. Respect to my opponent for facing me at home, and congratulations to Renato Moicano. God tests us, and that’s nothing to compare with what I could experience.”
“Ce n’était pas mon jour, ce sport est dur mais incroyable.
Merci à tous pour votre soutien indéfectible. Fier d’avoir pu représenter la France dans l’octogone à la maison 🇫🇷.
Respect à mon adversaire de m’avoir affronté à la maison et félicitation à lui @renato_moicano_ufc .Dieu met des épreuves sur notre chemin et celle là n’est rien comparé à ce que j’ai pu vivre 🙏🏼.”
After notching five straight finishes, Saint Denis has now been stopped in back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and Moicano.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.
