Benoît Saint Denis

Benoît Saint Denis (born December 18, 1995) is a French professional mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of June 11, 2024, he is #12 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

Background
Benoît Saint Denis was born in Nîmes, on December 18, 1995 as the eldest of five brothers. His father was a French Army officer who practiced judo at a good level, and his mother was a teacher. Saint Denis has been training in judo in France and Germany from the age of 8 to 16 and earned a black belt. He also played football and rugby union in his youth.

Prior to his MMA career, Saint Denis was a member of the 1st Marine Infantry Paratroopers Regiment, a unit of the French Army Special Forces Command. He served as a French Special Air Service (SAS) operator in Mali during the war and more generally in West Africa, fighting terrorist groups. He was awarded the Medal of the Nation's gratitude and the Combatant's cross in September 2017. He left the army after five years of service in March 2019.

Early kickboxing and BJJ career
Saint Denis began kick-boxing with Stéphane Susperregui and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) with Christophe Savoca in 2017 in the Bayonne region close to his regiment.

He also competed in BJJ, winning the medium-heavyweight (under 88,3 kg/194 lbs) division, in blue belt, at the 2017 West Zone Championship in France. He participated in the 2017 IBJJF Paris International Open No Gi Championship, in the medium-heavyweight (under 88,3 kg/194 lbs) division, taking 3rd place. He won the middleweight (under 82,3 kg/181 lbs) division, at blue belt, in the absolute category, and took 2nd place on the regular category at the 2018 West Zone Championship in France. He won the medium-heavyweight division, in blue belt, at the IBJJF Paris International Open Gi Championship in Spring 2018.

He was also the winner of both gi and no-gi divisions in the 2019 France National Championship, at blue belt in the middleweight (under 82,3 kg/181 lbs) division. He also participated in two shows for ACB JJ, notably facing Yusup Raisov, losing by points.

In September 2017, he started MMA initially to improve his SAS close combat skills and tested himself in the Invictus XV 8-men amateur tournament winning the first two matches by submission and the final by decision, against an opponent with pro experience on the middleweight division on December 16, 2017 in San Sebastián, Spain.

Passionate about MMA, he was thinking of making it his career. In July 2018, Christophe Savoca asked Luiz Tosta, a Brazilian colleague to host Saint Denis for a week at his MMA gym in London, Shootfighters, where Michael Page is training. The Brazilian confirmed that Saint Denis was capable of launching into professional MMA.

Mixed martial arts career
In September 2018, Saint Denis stood out among thirty fighters during a test organized by Daniel Woirin, a French coach renowned for having won three belts at UFC and two at Strikeforce with MMA champions Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida. Saint Denis, ending his contract with the army, decided to embark on a career as a professional MMA fighter early 2019. He gave himself two years to break through to the highest level in MMA. Two years was the time he had with his savings to train full time and get signed by the UFC.

He joined the Bulgarian Top Team of French manager Giom Peltier and won six fights in eleven months. Then the pace of the fights slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With Daniel Woirin, he stayed undefeated and went eight wins by finish in middleweight, welterweight and super lightweight divisions, half of them at the Brave Combat Federation, where he ended up as the #1 Title contenter of the super lightweight division at the time he accepted to join the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (2021–present)
2021

Saint Denis made his UFC debut in the welterweight division on short notice against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos on October 30, 2021 at UFC 267. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

2022

Cutting to lightweight, Saint Denis faced Niklas Stolze on June 4, 2022 at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik. He won the bout after submitting Stolze via rear-naked choke in the second round.

He was scheduled to face Christos Giagos on September 3, 2022 at UFC Fight Night 209, in Paris. However, Giagos pulled out in August after a domestic accident. Consequently, Saint Denis faced Gabriel Miranda. He won the fight via technical knockout in the early second round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

2023

Saint Denis was scheduled to face Joe Solecki on February 18, 2023 at UFC Fight Night 219. However, he withdrew from the bout due to ankle injury.

Saint Denis was scheduled to face Vinc Pichel on July 1, 2023, at UFC on ESPN 48. However, Pichel pulled out in late-May due to injury and was replaced by Ismael Bonfim. Saint Denis won the fight via a first round rear-naked choke submission. For the beginning of his second contract with the UFC, Saint Denis faced Thiago Moisés on September 2, 2023 at UFC Fight Night 226, in Paris. He won the fight by TKO at the second round. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night bonus award.

Saint Denis faced Matt Frevola on November 11, 2023 at UFC 295. He won the fight via knockout in the first round and the victory earned him the Performance of the Night award. Frevola signed off with a salute to Saint Denis who responded in kind during this veterans day.

2024

For the beginning of his third contract with the UFC, Saint Denis faced Dustin Poirier in a 5 round co-main for UFC 299 on March 9, 2024. According to Dustin Poirier, the fight was initially pencilled at the start of the main card of UFC 300 scheduled on April 13, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. After discussions, the fight was officially announced for UFC 299. Saint Denis lost the fight by knockout in the second round; however it earned him another Fight of the Night award.

Saint Denis is scheduled to face Renato Moicano in five rounds on September 28, 2024 as the main event of UFC Fight Night 245, in Paris.

Professional grappling career
Saint Denis faced Marc Diakiese in the no gi main event of ADXC 4 on May 18, 2024. He won the match by unanimous decision.

Mixed martial arts style
Saint Denis fights in a Southpaw stance. His mixed martial arts combat style is built around wrestling and submissions, and though he’s willing to stand and trade, he typically uses his striking to force opponents to the fence so he can look for takedowns and submissions.

Saint Denis is a finisher. He exerts constant pressure on his opponent until he manages to finish him, ignoring counter strikes. This materializes in all thirteen wins by finish including four knockouts and nine submissions. Half of them occurred within the first round.

Saint Denis chose God of War nickname, on the advice of his brothers, after his third professional victory. This reflects his military background and MMA warrior attitude.

Saint Denis' walkout track is based on the French Commandos’ song and Seine Saint-Denis Style from the french hip hop group Suprême NTM.

Personal life
Besides his MMA career, Saint Denis sometimes works as an instructor and a trainer for a French private security company named Chiron. He married his fiancée Laura, a week before his fight at UFC Fight Night 209. The couple had a daughter in July 2023.

Laura is a former French international futsal player who won the European Champions league with Toulouse Metropole FC. She is working as a dog trainer and shooting instructor in the police and she was the first French female police officer undergoing Special weapons and Tactics (SWAT) course. Undergoing a Master degree in Sports Management, she is also Saint Denis' agent, handling his sponsors and social networks.

Saint Denis has four tattoos: the dagger from the French Special Forces, the samurai helmet from his first BJJ club, Joan of Arc for chivalrous spirit, and a Templar cross as a reminder of the security missions he carried out in Mali.

In 2024, at the request of the French Armed Forces, he sponsored the French military MMA team, supported wounded soldiers' charities and participated in the Army's recruitment effort.

Mixed martial arts

 * Ultimate Fighting Championship
 * Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Gabriel Miranda and Matt Frevola
 * Performance of the Month (One time) vs. Matt Frevola
 * Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Thiago Moisés and Dustin Poirier
 * Fight of the Month (One time) vs. Thiago Moisés
 * 5-round fights: two
 * Highest striking differential in UFC Lightweight division history (3.34)
 * Third highest control time percentage in UFC Lightweight division history (63.6%)
 * Fourth highest top position control percentage in UFC Lightweight division history (50.5%)
 * Third highest knockdown average-per-15 minutes in UFC Lightweight division history (1.7)
 * Third highest significant strike accuracy in UFC Lightweight division history (58.4%)
 * First French Fighter to compete and to win on a UFC card in France
 * First French Fighter to be ranked in the lightweight division
 * Seventh Best Fighter of 2023
 * Brave Combat Federation
 * 2020 Brave CF Submission of the Year
 * Number 1 Contender, Super Lightweight division
 * Staredown Fighting Championship
 * 2019 SFC Welterweight Championship (one time)

Submission grappling record
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:80%; text-align:left;" ! Result ! Rec ! Opponent ! Method ! Event ! Date ! Weight
 * Win || 3–3 || 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Marc Diakiese || Points || ADXC 4 || 18 May 2024 || 175 lbs
 * Loss || 2–3 || 🇷🇺 Abdusamad Abdusamadov || Points || ACB JJ WORLD OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP GI 2019 || July 13, 2019 || 187 lbs
 * Loss || 2–2 || 🇷🇺 Yusup Raisov || Points || ACB JJ European OPEN Championship NO - GI & ACB JJ POLISH Open Championship GI || 4 August 2018 || 187 lbs
 * Win || 2–1 || 🇵🇱 Ziemowit Żelazny || Submission || ACB JJ European OPEN Championship NO - GI & ACB JJ POLISH Open Championship GI || 4 August 2018 || 187 lbs
 * Loss || 1–1 || 🇦🇹 Moritz Köllensperger || Submission || ACB JJ European OPEN Championship NO - GI & ACB JJ POLISH Open Championship GI || 4 August 2018 || 187 lbs
 * Win || 1–0 || 🇵🇱 Karol Kurembski || Points || ACB JJ European OPEN Championship NO - GI & ACB JJ POLISH Open Championship GI || 4 August 2018 || 187 lbs
 * Win || 2–1 || 🇵🇱 Ziemowit Żelazny || Submission || ACB JJ European OPEN Championship NO - GI & ACB JJ POLISH Open Championship GI || 4 August 2018 || 187 lbs
 * Loss || 1–1 || 🇦🇹 Moritz Köllensperger || Submission || ACB JJ European OPEN Championship NO - GI & ACB JJ POLISH Open Championship GI || 4 August 2018 || 187 lbs
 * Win || 1–0 || 🇵🇱 Karol Kurembski || Points || ACB JJ European OPEN Championship NO - GI & ACB JJ POLISH Open Championship GI || 4 August 2018 || 187 lbs
 * Loss || 1–1 || 🇦🇹 Moritz Köllensperger || Submission || ACB JJ European OPEN Championship NO - GI & ACB JJ POLISH Open Championship GI || 4 August 2018 || 187 lbs
 * Win || 1–0 || 🇵🇱 Karol Kurembski || Points || ACB JJ European OPEN Championship NO - GI & ACB JJ POLISH Open Championship GI || 4 August 2018 || 187 lbs
 * Win || 1–0 || 🇵🇱 Karol Kurembski || Points || ACB JJ European OPEN Championship NO - GI & ACB JJ POLISH Open Championship GI || 4 August 2018 || 187 lbs