Benoît Saint Denis

Benoît Saint Denis was born in Nîmes, on December 18, 1995, as the eldest of five brothers. His father is a French Army officer who practiced judo at a good level, and his mother is a teacher. Saint Denis trained in judo in France and Germany beginning at the age of 8 and earned a black belt. 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 Mali War. 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 in 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 in 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. Then the pace of the fights slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. 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. 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 faced Renato Moicano on September 28, 2024, in the main event of UFC Fight Night 243. He lost the fight by technical knockout due to doctor stoppage at the end of the second round as a result of damage done to his right eye. Following these defeats, Saint Denis chose a new headcoach, Nicolas Ott, who is also coaching Nassourdine Imavov. However, Álvarez withdrew due to a hand injury the week before and was replaced by Kyle Prepolec. He won the fight via an arm-triangle choke submission in the second round. Saint Denis faced Maurício Ruffy in the co-main event on September 6, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 258, in Paris. He won the fight via a face crank choke submission in the second round. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award. , April 2026 Saint Denis faced Beneil Dariush on November 15, 2025, at UFC 322. At the weigh-ins, Dariush weighed in at 157.2 pounds, 1.2 pounds over the lightweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Dariush was fined 25 percent of his purse, which went to Saint Denis. He won the fight by knockout sixteen seconds into the first round. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award. 2026 Saint Denis faced Dan Hooker in the co-main event on February 1, 2026 at UFC 325. He won the fight by technical knockout in the second round. Saint Denis was offered to compete against Michael Chandler on June 14, 2026 at UFC Freedom 250 but he declined following an injury. He resumed training in April 2026 and assisted Spaniard Joel Alvarez in preparation for his next fight. Saint Denis is scheduled to face Paddy Pimblett on July 11, 2026, at UFC 329. ==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 is 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 17 wins by finish including 6 knockouts and 11 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. File:BSD-ALVAREZ striking.jpg|BSD striking File:BSD en cage control.jpg|BSD at cage control File:BSD en grappling avec Christoph Savoca.jpg|BSD grappling File:BSD Ground and Pound.jpg|BSD ground and pound File:Travail d'étranglements.jpg|BSD submitting == Personal life ==

Besides his MMA career, Saint Denis sometimes worked 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 was working as a dog trainer and shooting instructor in the police Holding a master's degree in Sports Management, she is 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. Saint Denis is Catholic. In 2025, he was invited to join a prayer challenge organized by Hallow app, together with celebrities such as Mark Wahlberg. == Media ==

Video games Films • In 2025, Saint Denis served as an MMA judge on a French reality TV show broadcast by Netflix in 2026, l'Arène. Books • Saint Denis wrote the introduction for the French edition of Tim Kennedy's "Scars and Stripes: An Unapologetically American Story of Fighting the Taliban, UFC Warriors, and Myself" • In 2024, Saint Denis released an autobiographic comic strip "Benoit Saint Denis, God of War " ==Championships and accomplishments==

Mixed martial arts • Ultimate Fighting Championship • Performance of the Night (Four times) • Highest significant strike accuracy in UFC Lightweight division history (61.5%) • Third control percentage in UFC Lightweight division history (55.0%) • First French fighter to compete and to win on a UFC card in France • First French fighter to be ranked in the lightweight division • Fastest finish from a French fighter at UFC • UFC Honors Awards • 2024: President's Choice Fight of the Year Nominee • UFC.com Awards • 2024: Ranked #5 Fight of the Year • 2023: Ranked #7 Fighter of the Year • World MMA Awards • 2024 Nominee, Breakthrough Fighter of the Year (nomination period spanned from July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024) • 2024 Nominee, Fight of the Year • 2025 First Team MMA All-Star • MMA Junkie • September, 2025, Submission of the Month • MMA Mania • 2025 Fighter of the Year - Honorable Mention • 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) ==Mixed martial arts record==