Benoit Saint-Denis is set to take on Dustin Poirier in a highly-anticipated lightweight bout at UFC 299. The event is scheduled for this weekend but there might be a problem for UFC CEO Dana White. Fans have spotted an unusual gash on the upper right side of Saint-Denis’ forehead. Many predict that this might be a staph infection.
According to NHS UK, “Staph infections are caused by bacteria called staphylococcus. They most often affect the skin.” These infections can be both non-serious and fatal. Many UFC fighters in the past have confessed to acquiring a staph infection. It is advisable to not fight if you have one.
Benoit has a staph infection ok his forehead, probably a pullout announcement coming soon. I don’t think the UFC would allow him to fight like this. pic.twitter.com/uZGrYg4N1V
— Wire (@WireMartialArts) March 7, 2024
Fans were afraid the co-main event of UFC 299 could get called off if BSD did have the infection. One fan wrote, “Benoit has a staph infection ok [on] his forehead, probably a pullout announcement coming soon. I don’t think the UFC would allow him to fight like this.”
Another fan wrote about how he might not be able to fight at his full potential. They wrote, “Staph infection is no joke. This might change the whole fight. Benoit will probably not be able to fight as good as he could’ve healthy.”
Benoit Staph-Denis
— Cody Merrow (@cody_merrow) March 6, 2024
Meanwhile, some fans joked about it and wrote, “Looks Staphy!” Another changed BSD’s name to “Benoit Staph-Denis.”
Saint-Denis, who expressed a desire to fight for the BMF title, believes the Poirier fight is a strong step toward his dream of fighting for the title. Hopefully, it is not a staph infection and the French fighter can continue his fight normally.
Many UFC fighters have fought with a staph infection in the past but it is not advisable
The close contact nature of the sport makes a staph infection easily contagious in MMA. UFC fighters are advised to not fight if they are suffering from any contagious diseases. However, depending on the severity of the infection, many fighters have fought with a staph infection by hiding it. On the other hand, in severe cases, many fighters had to take a hiatus from fighting because of it.
The most well-known case of a staph infection stopping a fighter is former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker‘s. He had to withdraw from his fight against Luke Rockhold in 2018 and took a year to recover from a serious staph infection.
After their fights, several fighters have claimed they were suffering from a staph infection during their fight. Among those is Kevin Lee, before his fight against Tony Ferguson, as revealed during a JRE episode. Very recently, after UFC 294, two fighters, Mike Breeden and Victoria Dudakova, claimed they hid their infections to fight. After UFC 295, Jiri Prochazka also said that he was infected before participating in the main event, as revealed during the MMA Hour.
UFC CEO Dana White slammed fighters who hide their staph infections
After Dudakova and Breeden opened up about their infection after UFC 294, Dana White was asked about it. “No [we’re not going to change medicals],” White told the media during UFC 294’s post-fight press conference. “I mean, if you look at how many fights … we basically do fights every single Saturday. Here’s one of the things: if you’re going to lie and hide injuries like that, lie all the way home.
“Why are you going to lie and do that and then sit up here and say, ‘I had a staph infection,’” White continued. “It’s just a very f*ckking weird thing to do, to be honest with you. Very weird.”
In the case of the French fighter, Saint-Denis, it should be noted that no reports have confirmed an infection yet. Saint-Denis, however, is expecting a bloody battle against Poirier. Any hidden infections could lead to disastrous circumstances.
