Macron addressed St. Denis after his defeat in his bout with Puryear

French President Emmanuel Macron has reached out to French mixed martial arts fighter Benoit Saint-Denis, who competes in the UFC lightweight division.

On March 9 at UFC 299 in Miami, USA, Saint-Denis lost by second-round knockout to former interim division champion American Dustin Porier.

"It was a brave thing to do. You are showing the world that French MMA is great. Besides being a hero of our special forces, there is no doubt - one day you will be a true champion!" reads a message on Macron's official X social media account.

"Thank you, Mr. President," Saint-Denis responded to it.

Recall that before the fight with Puryear, the 28-year-old Frenchman was on a streak of five consecutive early wins.