A few days ago, social media was flooded with speculation that Benoit Saint-Denis was dealing with a staph infection. A viral image from the Frenchman’s training camp showed a lesion on his right foot that eerily resembled the gruesome lesions that are common with the infection. That, coupled with a history of staph infection, led many to assume that ‘BSD’ had once again contracted staph ahead of his UFC 329 fight against Paddy Pimblett, even though neither he nor his camp confirmed it. Now, the lightweight contender has finally broken his silence on the ongoing rumors.

“No, I don’t have staph,” Saint-Denis told RMC Sport Combat. “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.”  

With that update, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Saint-Denis won’t be compromised heading into his UFC 329 fight against Paddy Pimblett. In cases of a staph infection, a fighter typically requires immediate medical treatment, and taking antibiotics while cutting weight can slow down the recovery process. Fortunately, ‘BSD’ won’t endure that process once again because the last time turned out to be a terrible experience for him.

The former French paratrooper battled a staph infection before facing Dustin Poirier in the co-main event at UFC 299 back in March 2024. At that time, dealing with staph severely affected his weight cut. Despite that, he chose not to withdraw from the fight. Inside the Octagon, Saint-Denis responded poorly to Poirier’s strikes, getting wobbled on multiple occasions before the Louisiana native eventually landed a crushing left hook in the second round to score the knockout victory.

While that was a case where ‘BSD’ had actually contracted staph infection, there has been another occasion when eagle-eyed fans thought they had spotted staph again. Before facing Kyle Prepolec at UFC 315 last year, the Frenchman was seen with a small wound on his forehead that many believed to be a staph infection. However, Saint-Denis never addressed whether that was actually the case, and he went on to win the fight comfortably via arm-triangle choke.

But it’s not only Saint-Denis who has come under scrutiny over a suspected staph infection. Current lightweight champion Justin Gaethje was also rumored to be dealing with staph before fighting Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January this year. However, the 155 lbs champion later clarified that it was nothing more than an ingrown hair.

With the No.5-ranked lightweight now confirming that he isn’t suffering from a staph infection, he can fully focus on what promises to be an entertaining scrap against the Liverpudlian at UFC 329.

Benoit Saint-Denis is eager to test himself against Paddy Pimblett 

Currently on a four-fight winning streak, Saint-Denis has re-established himself as one of the top contenders in the lightweight division. He has defeated names like Dan Hooker and Beneil Dariush, both of whom are established forces at 155 lbs. Despite that momentum, ‘BSD’ feels Paddy Pimblett will present a stern challenge, despite the Englishman coming off a loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324.

“Paddy is a big fight,” Saint-Denis said in the same interview. “He lost the fight against Gaethje, but he had strong moments. He’s a tough guy from Liverpool, and he has a lot of experience. It will be a big test for me to confirm all my ambitions. I can’t wait for Saturday to show the work during this training camp and to test myself against the best in the division.”

The French UFC fighter rightly pointed to the back-and-forth war between Gaethje and Pimblett, where the Scouser landed several nasty uppercuts that badly rocked the current lightweight champion at different moments in the fight. So, against Pimblett, Saint-Denis will have to be prepared not only for ‘The Baddy’s improved striking but also for the constant grappling threat he brings.

With Benoit Saint-Denis confirming he has enjoyed a staph-free training camp, it will be interesting to see what approach he takes against the relentless, forward-pressure fighting style of Paddy Pimblett on the UFC 329 co-main event.