Benoit Saint-Denis Offers Excuse for UFC 299 Loss, Dustin Poirier Savagely Responds

Saint-Denis says he was a 'shadow of himself' against 'The Diamond'.

Benoit Saint-Denis explained what went wrong the night he fought Dustin Poirier, and "The Diamond" is having none of it.

The French contender went up the ladder in the lightweight division at UFC 299, only to be sent down in devastating fashion. Saint-Denis started off strong in the opening round against Poirier, but as diamonds do, they form under pressure.

UFC 299 Results: Dustin Poirier Stops Benoit Saint-Denis in Shocking Fashion

Louisiana's Poirier came back in the second round to crumble Saint-Denis with an onslaught of punches after trying to guillotine the Frenchman on a few occasions. 

Days removed from the knockout result, Saint-Denis reflected on the fight itself, claiming he wasn't 100% when the Octagon door closed. 

"Saturday, I had the honor of crossing iron with the legend @dustinpoirier. I fought completely dehydrated," Saint-Denis wrote in French on Instagram. "Frustration is huge but it's hard to judge when to cancel such an opportunity. I'm going to get back to work and fix some things that can't be neglected and never give you a shadow of myself again. God tests us in so many ways, I’m blessed to be well surrounded and have tremendous support."

Why was Saint-Denis 'completely dehydrated' for the biggest fight of his life? Well, 'God of War' claimed he was fighting off a staph infection. 

However horrid the circumstances could have been, Saint-Denis vows to fix his mistakes his next time out.

Poirier, who often reminds his fans to drink water funnily enough on 'X', has repeated the same sentiment to his former opposition.

"Gotta stay hydrated out there!" Poirier wrote on Instagram, re-uploading his KO of Saint-Denis.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dustin Poirier (@dustinpoirier)

It's safe to say at 35 years old, Dustin Poirier has still got his wit. 

UFC 299 Aftermath: Watch Justin Gaethje's Savage Reaction to Dustin Poirier KO

In 2021, the former interim champ roasted Conor McGregor at the UFC 264 press conference after previously knocking him out at UFC 257. 

"Not McGregor Fast, McGregor sleep," Poirier said, referencing McGregor's fitness program. 

Not McGregor Fast, McGregor Sleep @DustinPoirier 💎 https://t.co/U0PH5upg7f pic.twitter.com/pTSQbs1bRr

— GameBred 🍗🥤 (@buckygfx) April 13, 2023

Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC and MMA.

Follow MMA Knockout on Twitter and Facebook.