Athletes
Benoît Saint Denis: The 'God Of War' Is Ready To Defend His Home Soil
French Lightweight Contender Plans To Bounce Back In Style With Victory Over Dangerous Brazilian Renato Moicano In Paris
Benoit Saint Denis is no stranger to conflict. It’s been his job, inside and outside the Octagon, for a decade.
Thankfully, what Saint Denis now calls war takes place inside the UFC Octagon, where he’ll battle in-form Brazilian contender Renato Moicano in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis in Paris, France on Saturday night, where he plans on showing his home nation, and UFC fans watching from around the world, just why he’s called “The God of War.”
“My nickname, ‘The God of War,’ it comes from my brothers,” he said.
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“I chose it because I’ve been doing war since I'm 18. I've been going to the French Special Forces, French Special Air Service, First Marine Airborne Regiment. I have been serving there for five years. Formation was one year, six months long, with 10 percent of people making it (through). I was very proud of this first part of my career. It turned me from a kid into a man.”
Back then, a young Saint Denis was involved in war of a very real kind, as he explained.
“It was very adventurous, you know? I was fighting against terrorism in sub-Saharan Africa. We had the protection of our president in 2016, Francois Hollande, when he came by after we pushed back the terrorists from Timbuktu.
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“It was an intense life (that) I’m very proud of, and I’m very happy about the adventure I live now. Overall, I’m very proud of this journey, and I cannot wait to write one more page.”
That page will feature a fight poster with his face on it, as Saint Denis headlines on home soil in France. It’s a far cry from the early days of his MMA career, which began while the sport was still banned in his homeland. His pro debut came in a bout in Neuchatel, Switzerland in a fight he won via first-round technical submission. And, despite having to make sure he always packed his passport along with his gumshield every time he departed for a fight, Saint Denis hit the road as he compiled an 8-0 record that saw him reach his goal of becoming a UFC fighter.
“Yeah, it was difficult,” he said.
“Determination and discipline was the key, of course. I started training in late-2018, and in 2019 I started my professional career – no amateur circuit, like today. My goal was in two years to go to the UFC. It took me two-and-a-half years, despite being French and not being able to represent my country.
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“I'm very proud of this accomplishment, because it's the accomplishment of teamwork. My coaches, my manager and my family that have been giving me time to fight often, to get on the UFC radar and to be able to fight in the UFC in 2021.
“So, I'm a happy man, and it's a great day and a great journey, to be able to start from a fight in Switzerland for 300 Euros to being the main event of UFC Paris some years later.”
Saint Denis fell to his first career loss as he was edged out on the scorecards by Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos in his Octagon debut at UFC 267, but after getting his feet wet in the UFC, Saint Denis quickly found his form, and he reeled off five straight finishes to surge into the lightweight rankings and earn him a marquee matchup with former interim lightweight champ Dustin Poirier at UFC 299.
After starting well against “The Diamond,” the wily American veteran turned Saint Denis’ aggressive approach against him as he eventually stopped the Frenchman in the second round after a wild firefight that deservedly earned both men Fight of the Night bonuses.
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Despite the defeat, Saint Denis came away with valuable lessons learned that he plans to take into his upcoming fights, starting this weekend in Paris.
“You have to have a clear mind and be a happy man in life to be a good fighter,” he stated.
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“This is very clear to me after this fight. Success came very fast. And I think when you have this much success, you kind of become a CEO, and you have to manage to a lot of stuff that you don't manage usually – a lot of energy that is difficult to carry when you don't have experience.
“It took me time. A lot of fighters talk about having a clear mind. Mental health. And I understand now, because when the success came, there are so many eyes and so many people counting on you, and I think I didn't manage to have a clear body and clear mind when I came to this fight, and I was done before fighting (Dustin).
“I fought a warrior, and the only way to get back to him is to get that belt from Makhachev, because the only thing Poirier doesn’t have is the undisputed UFC belt. So I will have to work hard to get there.
“But right now, I’m concentrating on Moicano. Moicano is my main goal, getting that victory. And, like I said, I'm very happy to be a part of Dustin’s journey as a fighter, because he is a great fighter. But I want it back, and I will work for it. But I have a lot to do and a lot to prove to a lot of people, that when ‘The God of War’ steps in, it’s going to be hell for the other fighter.”
The bout with Moicano isn’t just another step on the journey for Saint Denis, it’s a matchup of real significance in the UFC’s 155-pound division, with Moicano and Saint Denis listed 11th and 12th, respectively, in the official UFC lightweight rankings. And, along with the ranking status of both men, Moicano’s resume speaks volumes of the quality of fighter Saint Denis will find himself facing this weekend.
“It's huge,” he said.
“He's only been losing to guys like Aldo, Ortega, Fiziev - only top five guys, top elite guys, former champs, stuff like this.
“Everything can go very fast with the UFC. It's the way you fight, the way you engage and the way you are promoting fighting in the UFC and mixed martial arts globally that will give you the opportunity to rise. And I'm here to do that.”
Benoît Saint Denis Always Tries To Deliver Huge Fights
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Benoît Saint Denis Always Tries To Deliver Huge Fights
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It’s a main event matchup that looks set to thrill the French fight fans, as the larger than life Brazilian with a penchant for submissions takes on France’s own “God of War,” whose 100 percent finish rate suggests fans can expect a crowd-pleasing battle when the main event hits the Octagon on Saturday night.
“I think they want war. This is what the UFC wants,” said Saint Denis.
“The UFC wants a banger with this Moicano fight – and they will have it.”
UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Saint Denis took place live from Accor Arena in Paris, France on September 28, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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