Athletes
Benoît Saint Denis | Pressure Is A Privilege
After Losing In Front Of The French Fans The Last Time He Competed On Home Soil, Benoît Saint Denis Returns To Paris Looking To Put Things Right
Benoit Saint Denis has always been the sort of fighter to meet his challenges head-on, and that approach won’t change this weekend when he returns to action at UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs Borralho in Paris.
France’s Saint Denis has fought three times on French soil during his UFC career, with TKO finishes of Gabriel Miranda and Thiago Moises earning him post-fight bonuses on both occasions.
UFC PARIS: Preview Every Fight Coming To Accor Arena This Saturday
But in his last appearance, against Renato Moicano in the UFC’s last main event in Paris, Saint Denis was stopped in his corner by the doctor at the end of the second round. Coming six months after a knockout loss to Dustin Poirier, it marked the first time in his career that he had suffered back-to-back defeats.
Saint Denis bounced back into the win column with a second-round arm-triangle choke finish of replacement opponent Kyle Prepolec at UFC 315 in Montreal.
It was an important win for Saint Denis, who admitted that he and his team had to adapt on the fly when his original opponent, Spain’s Joel Alvarez, was withdrawn from the card late on during fight week.
“Yeah, (it was) not easy, especially for a comeback (fight), but we went through it as a team, and it went well,” he said.
“We kept strong as a team and we did a great job. Fighting in Quebec was almost like fighting in France.”
CARD UPDATES: UFC Paris | Noche UFC
It means that now, back in form and back on home soil, he’s determined to get a win for the French fans.
Carrying that loss to Moicano in the back of his mind, Saint Denis admits that there’s some pressure on him as he looks to give the French fans a crowd-pleasing win. But rather than viewing the pressure as a negative, he’s taking inspiration from it.
“It’s pressure, but pressure is a privilege,” he stated.
Because if you have pressure, it’s because there's a lot on the line. I'm ready and happy for it.”
Saint Denis takes on the dangerous Brazilian striker Mauricio Ruffy, who has been a revelation since blasting his way into the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series.
MORE ATHLETE FEATURES: Nassourdine Imavov | Mauricio Ruffy | Patricio Pitbull | Oumar Sy
The Fighting Nerds product has been perfect inside the Octagon since his debut in 2024, with a flying-knee knockout of Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 301 getting his career off to a spectacular start.
A three-round war with Peru’s James Llontop followed at UFC 309, before Ruffy delivered most spectacular win to date, a stunning spinning heel kick finish of King Green at UFC 313.
Those three wins mean that plenty of eyes are on Ruffy as he gets set to face Saint Denis this weekend. But that spotlight, along with the white-hot atmosphere generated by the French fight fans, will bring additional pressure that Saint Denis says the Brazilian isn’t ready for just yet.
“I think it will impact him,” he said.
READ: UFC Paris Athletes Who Call France Home
“He is not ready, he hasn’t experienced it yet. It will do something to him, but I want to fight the best Mauricio Ruffy. I hope he keeps concentrated.”
Fighting at the sharp end of a big fight card in his home country will bring added pressure and obligations to Saint Denis, too. But now, ahead of his fourth UFC appearance in France, he says he’s taken the positives from his losses to Poirier and Moicano and is fully conditioned for the rigors of a fight week on home soil.
It took me time, but now I feel like I'm used to it a lot more than before, and it has been huge for my career,” he explained.
“In 2024 and this year I have learned a lot off the past two fights, and that's why (they) didn't go my way, because I think I had no experience of all this media and pressure. Now that I have it, I'm back to doing what I like and love – fighting.”
RELATED: Five Benoît Saint Denis Fights To Watch Before UFC Paris
Saint Denis looks calm, focused and ready to deliver a big performance for the French fans at Accor Arena. He described the upcoming bout with Ruffy as a “potential Fight of the Night,” and said that he plans to show the world that, while Ruffy is a talented prospect in the lightweight division, Saint Denis has the skillset to show that there are levels to this game.
“I think he is good, very, very tricky and good in a couple of (areas), but our mission is to expose him,” he said
It’ll be a very engaging fight and very explosive fight, of course.
READ: Look Ahead At The Most Highly Anticipated Fights Of September
“It will mean the world to me (to win). Like I said, it's a lot of pressure, but pressure is a privilege, and I cannot wait for Saturday night and to experience all of that.”
UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs Borralho took place live from Accor Arena in Paris, France on September 6, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!