Benoit Saint-Denis is heading into UFC 329 with a winning streak and a familiar distraction. The French lightweight, riding a four-fight run that includes finishes over Beneil Dariush, Dan Hooker, Kyle Prepolec and Mauricio Ruffy, is set to face Paddy Pimblett this weekend.
But in the days before the fight, social media once again lit up with speculation that Saint-Denis was dealing with a staph infection.
Benoit Saint-Denis Shuts Down Staph Rumors Before UFC 329
The chatter started after training images circulated online of Benoit Saint-Denis with fans pointing to what they believed were visible marks consistent with a bacterial skin infection.
Saint-Denis pushed back directly, telling RMC Sport Combat that he doesn’t have staph. He acknowledged having a scab on his foot but said that’s all it amounted to, and noted how quickly speculation can spiral on social media until it becomes “a bit ridiculous.” He added that his camp was managed carefully and that fatigue wasn’t an issue either.
“No, I don’t have staph. Things can move very quickly on social media now, and it gets a bit ridiculous. I did have a scab on my foot, yes, but it’s not staph. That’s all it was. These are things that can happen. But the camp was managed very well. The fatigue was managed very well too.”
Staph infections are a persistent hazard for grapplers, spreading easily through skin contact on shared training mats, and the UFC does screen fighters for visible signs of infection during fight week.
A win over Paddy Pimblett at UFC 329 could catapult ‘God of War’ to the front of the lightweight title race, setting up a blockbuster showdown with newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
About The Author
