Benoît Saint Denis

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

Background

Saint Denis in 2018
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 trained in judo in France and Germany beginning at the age of 8 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.