Was Benoit Saint-Denis in the Military? A Look at the MMA Fighter’s Life Before UFC

Benoit Saint-Denis is at present scheduled to face Kyle Prepolec in a light-weight matchup on the UFC 315 occasion on Saturday, Could 10, 2025. Initially, Saint-Denis was to struggle Joel Alvarez, however Alvarez was dominated out as a consequence of a hand harm and changed by Prepolec.

Heading into his much-awaited return to the Octagon, Saint-Denis’ pre-UFC navy profession has seemingly piqued fan curiosity.

Was Benoit Saint-Denis within the Army?

Benoit Saint-Denis was born in Nimes, Gard, France, on Dec. 18, 1995. The 29-year-old is thought to have served his nation, France, as a member of its navy. He was a French particular ops (particular operations) operative, serving within the French Particular Air Service (SAS).

He’s identified to have partaken in counter-terrorism operations in Mali and elsewhere in West Africa. Saint-Denis was honored with France’s ‘Medal of the Nation’s Gratitude’ and the ‘Combatant’s Cross’ for his navy service.

On UFC Linked’s Fighter Focus hosted by Megan Olivi in 2024, the UFC offered struggle followers with an perception into Saint-Denis’ navy historical past. The light-weight contender himself indicated that his father, too, served within the French navy.

Saint-Denis said, “I had a very happy childhood when I was young. I have four little brothers. We had everything we needed. We were a group of brothers looking out for each other. I took my role as a firstborn child very seriously. I wanted to be a knight, you know? Because the knight is the one who is protecting the weak against the strong.”

He added, “My father was in the French Foreign Legion. He worked on missions outside of the country, so we moved a lot. I looked at his career, and I knew it was partly the way I wanted to take.”

Shedding mild on his personal profession within the armed forces, he defined, “I became a French Special Air Service member, French Special Forces. Mostly what I did was counter-terrorism in the Sub-Saharan band against Boko Haram and a couple of different branches of Islamic State. I did protection of high-value personalities like the president, ministers, generals in a lot of different countries in Africa.”

“Also, I did a lot of sensitive site exploitation, which is having a fast collection of the information you have on the ground to try to directly use it to have another action in the night. I worked my a** off so I could be successful in it … After five years in spec ops, I was looking for my own adventure.”

Saint-Denis highlighted that one has to observe orders within the navy, including that he ultimately wished to be his personal boss. He recalled having educated within the martial artwork of BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) since 2017 and honing his kickboxing abilities in 2018. “God of War” recounted that he felt if he didn’t strive his hand at a possible MMA profession, he’d remorse it.

Effectively, Saint-Denis made his skilled MMA debut in Feb. 2019 and his UFC promotional debut in Oct. 2021. His MMA file stands at 13 victories, three defeats, and one No Contest (NC).