A former opponent of Dan Hooker has expressed dissatisfaction with UFC lightweight Benoit Saint-Denis.
Benoit Saint-Denis is currently without an opponent for UFC 315, scheduled for this Saturday. His original opponent, Joel Alvarez, pulled out last weekend due to an undisclosed injury. UFC matchmakers are attempting to find a short-notice replacement, but Saint-Denis`s status on the card remains uncertain.
Rising lightweight contender Mauricio Ruffy recently challenged Saint-Denis to a future UFC Fight Night main event, capitalizing on the uncertainty surrounding the French fighter`s participation at UFC 315. Ruffy boasts an undefeated record in the UFC and recently secured a significant knockout victory over King Green at UFC 313.
If Saint-Denis is determined to compete at UFC 315 in Montreal, reports suggest there are potential short-notice opponents. However, one highly-ranked lightweight has publicly accused Saint-Denis of rejecting an offer to fight on short notice.
Mateusz Gamrot Criticizes Benoit Saint-Denis Over Alleged UFC 315 Fight Rejection
In related news, Mateusz Gamrot was recently considered for a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan, who declined a future booking in Abu Dhabi. Tsarukyan himself had pulled out of a planned main event at UFC 311 against Islam Makhachev on short notice due to a back injury.
Gamrot previously defeated Tsarukyan by unanimous decision in a highly competitive UFC Fight Night main event in June 2022, a bout widely considered a `Fight of the Year` contender. Since that loss, Tsarukyan has been undefeated, securing significant victories over opponents such as Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.
However, according to Gamrot, he was offered the opportunity to step in and fight Saint-Denis at UFC 315, but Saint-Denis reportedly turned down the offer.
Taking to social media platform X, Gamrot publicly accused Saint-Denis of avoiding the short-notice fight. He posted, “BSD turned down the fight next week, what’s wrong with you guys? Grow some balls, cowards!”
Gamrot`s most recent outing was a split decision loss to Dan Hooker at UFC 305 in September. Prior to that fight, Gamrot had secured three consecutive wins, including victories over Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev.
Saint-Denis is aiming to rebound from consecutive TKO losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano earlier in 2024, marking the first losing streak of his professional MMA career.
Belal Muhammad Comments on UFC 315 Backup Fighter Ahead of Title Bout
UFC 315`s main event features a welterweight title fight between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena. Ian Machado Garry has publicly stated he is ready to step in as a short-notice replacement if needed, but Muhammad seems surprised by Garry`s decision to take this backup role.
In a recent interview, Muhammad questioned Garry`s reasoning for accepting a backup position just weeks after his victory over Carlos Prates at UFC Kansas City. Muhammad publicly downplayed the likelihood of Garry actually being needed as the event approaches.
Muhammad is set to make his first title defense following his victory over Leon Edwards at UFC 304 last July. He was originally scheduled to headline UFC 310 against Shavkat Rakhmonov but withdrew due to a health issue.
While a future matchup between Muhammad and Garry is possible, Muhammad stated he does not expect Garry to be required as a replacement for this weekend`s UFC 315 event.
Benedict Kingsley