In an entertainment niche in which there’s no real penalty for breaking a presumed “no takebacks” clause, Benoit Saint Denis apparently has triple-stamped a double-stamp.
The French lightweight, through his manager, per reports, has put his hand back down when it comes to a chance to fight former champion Charles Oliveira in the UFC Rio main event next month.
Just two weeks ago, Saint Denis (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) dominated and submitted highly touted lightweight Maurcio Ruffy (12-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in the UFC Paris co-main event. In the immediate aftermath, he said he was interested in a fight with Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC).
But two days after the fight, he made an appearance on a live stream and said if anything happens in the upcoming UFC Fight Night 261 main event between Rafael Fiziev (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and former champion Charles Oliveira (35-11 MMA, 23-11 UFC), set for Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro (ESPN+) on Oct. 11, he’d gladly step in.
As it happens, Fiziev is injured and out. And the UFC’s lightweight contenders started to raise their hands for a shot at the headliner. But despite BSD’s claim two weeks ago that he’d step in, reality apparently is a different story.
Saint Denis’ management team, according to published reports, said there’s too much respect for Oliveira to take the fight on short notice. “This kind of fight needs preparation,” his manager reportedly said on social media.
One fighter whose hand came up right away, though, could be making preparations to get the call. Mateusz Gamrot posted on his Instagram account that he was headed back to the U.S., where he trains at American Top Team, and intimated it’s in preparation for Oliveira.
Gamrot (25-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) has won four of his past five fights.
