After a brief setback, Benoit Saint-Denis has successfully re-established himself as one of the frontrunners in the lightweight title race. At present, the Frenchman is riding a four-fight winning streak, with victories over opponents like Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker. Following those stellar performances, ‘BSD’ is all set to chase his fifth straight win next week against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 329 as Conor McGregor and Max Holloway’s co-main event. However, according to eagle-eyed internet users, the 30-year-old has apparently developed a staph infection ahead of his big fight. This inference was based on a recent image of BSD shared online.

“Benoit St Denis appears to have a bad staph infection a week out,” the social media account Blind Bear posted on X. “This could be a huge advantage for Paddy.” 

In the picture, Benoit Saint-Denis can be seen practicing leg kicks on a heavy bag. However, what gave rise to the staph infection accusation was a noticeable lesion just above his right ankle bone. The lesion looked very similar to how staph infection blisters normally look, so it’s not entirely wrong for many to deduce that BSD might’ve developed a staph infection. Several other pages also made the same claim. However, it’s worth noting that neither the Frenchman nor his team has officially confirmed that he is currently dealing with a staph infection. So as of now, the fight at the T-Mobile Arena is still a go.

For those who may not know, a staph infection is caused by Staphylococcus bacteria, which are commonly found in unhygienic environments, much like most MMA gyms. The bacteria usually enter the body through cuts or wounds, causing infections that can range from mild to severe. Fighters often come into contact with the bacteria during training, especially grappling, as the wear and tear from it creates an easy entry point for the infection. However, the Nîmes native is definitely no stranger to staph, which is another reason why the claim quickly gained steam. 

Two years ago, Saint-Denis got the opportunity to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 299’s co-main event, a matchup that could have, in all likelihood, propelled him into title contention. However, he unfortunately developed a serious staph infection on his forehead before the fight. On top of that, Saint-Denis also had to endure a grueling weight cut. Despite this, BSD went ahead with the fight. At the showdown, Poirier knocked out the Frenchman after an exchange on the ground. To this day, most agree the 30-year-old faded because he had to go through the weight cut while dealing with the staph infection. As a result, many already believe that Paddy might have a leg up in their fight if BSD decides to go ahead with it.

Alongside the former French paratrooper, there have also been several other cases of fighters dealing with staph infections ahead of big fights. Most notably, former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa pulled out of his UFC 294 bout against Khamzat Chimaev because of a nasty staph infection on his elbow. Jiri Prochazka also battled a staph infection before fighting Alex Pereira at UFC 295, which required him to take antibiotics. However, both of those cases pale in comparison to Ben Askren‘s. The former UFC fighter developed severe pneumonia that reportedly stemmed from a minor staph infection. As a result of the pneumonia, he had to undergo a life-threatening double lung transplant last year.

While Benoit Saint-Denis’ apparent infection doesn’t seem all that severe, MMA fans still called out the lightweight contender for seemingly putting himself and his bout at risk once again.

Fans react to Benoit Saint-Denis’ apparent staph infection report ahead of UFC 329

“This guy is always ridden with staph,” remarked a user. Following that, another user commented, “Has he ever gone into a fight without it? I really don’t think so.” But a different fan believed the infection, if it is one, could be minimal, writing, “Always has it 🫠 still 1 week or so left should be minimal.”

After fans grilled Benoit Saint-Denis over seemingly suffering another case of staph infection, they took it a step further and started predicting that International Fight Week’s co-main event would go Paddy Pimblett’s way.

One fan wrote, “Paddy alr was gonna win,” while another believed the Liverpudlian would have beaten him regardless, writing, “Lmao, Paddy doesn’t need BSD’s staph to expose him.” Following that, another fan pointed out an interesting coincidence, “Why does everyone have a staph infection before fighting Paddy?”

Here, the fan referred to claims that Justin Gaethje also dealt with a staph infection before facing Paddy Pimblett at UFC 329. However, the reigning lightweight champion dismissed those rumors, insisting it was only an ingrown hair. Regardless, ‘The Highlight’ went on to win the fight convincingly.

One fan genuinely asked, “Isn’t that what happened to him vs Dos Santos and Poirier too?” To be fair, the lightweight contender only dealt with a staph infection before fighting Poirier at UFC 299. Other than that, there hasn’t been any confirmed case before his other fights. However, one frustrated fan claimed, “I’ve seen fighters win so much with Staph that I genuinely put no stock into it anymore.”

If Benoit Saint-Denis is indeed dealing with another staph infection, it could seriously affect his fight against Paddy Pimblett as well as the weight cut before it. And if the reports are eventually confirmed, the odds could quickly swing even further in the Liverpudlian’s favor.