SUMMARY
- Benoit Saint Denis hails from a military background, having been a part of French Special Forces.
- Ahead of UFC 299, he has teamed up with US Special Forces officer and former UFC fighter, Tim Kennedy.
UFC 299 is almost upon us and ahead of it fans have gotten a better look at the backstory of some of the fighters. Among them, one of the most intriguing individuals has to be Benoit Saint Denis. Owing to the UFC’s Countdown, Connected, and Embedded series, we have seen some unknown things about the fighter.
For those unaware, Benoit made his UFC debut in 2021 at UFC 267. On the night, the Frenchman stepped in on short notice against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos for a welterweight bout. Having fought outside of his natural weight class, Saint Denis encountered a lot of difficulty against dos Santos. Eventually, he would go on to lose by way of a unanimous decision.
Despite the loss, Benoit kept at it and worked even harder for his next fights. For his next 5 bouts, Saint Denis fought at his original weight class, racking up 5 wins all by finishes. In his little streak, the newcomer bested the likes of Niklas Stolze, Gabriel Miranda, Ismael Bonfim, Thiago Moises, and Matt Frevola. Notably, Benoit’s KO win over Frevola also garnered him the #12 spot in the welterweight rankings.
Who is Tim Kennedy and how is he involved with Saint Denis?
As mentioned previously, the UFC’s Connected series has allowed us to get a closer look at the fighters ahead of UFC 299. As for Benoit Saint Denis, he has enlisted the help of former UFC fighter and US Army Special Forces officer Tim Kennedy for his training camp. Showcasing the alliance between the French and the United States army, the athletes are working together to help the “God of War” prepare for his upcoming fight.
For those unaware, Tim Kennedy was a mainstay in the UFC’s middleweight division and has some impressive names on his resume. Having fought in numerous promotions, including Strikeforce, Kennedy eventually made his way into the UFC in 2013. Notably, Kennedy was one of the few fighters to simultaneously serve the US Army whilst fighting professionally.
During his tenure fighting in Strikeforce and then the UFC, Kennedy took on the likes of Jacare Souza, Melvin Manhoef, Luke Rockhold, Robbie Lawler, Michael Bisping, Yoel Romero, Kelvin Gastelum, and more. As such, some would consider Kennedy an ideal coach and trainer for a man like Saint Denis, who has ties to both MMA and the military.
How has Benoit Saint Denis’ military background helped in his MMA career?
For the most part, a lot has been made of Benoit Saint Denis and his past in the military. As it turns out, Benoit was a member of the 1st Marine Infantry Paratroopers Regiment, a unit of the French Army Special Forces Command. Having started his MMA training in 2017, he left the army in March 2019, after serving for 5 years. Thus, it is one of the main talking points around the fighter.
With his wife also in a similar line of work, all roads have seemingly led Benoit to pursue MMA and make his way into the UFC. All things considered, his time working as an SAS (Special Air Service) operator has been of great help to his MMA career as well.
As Tim Kennedy explains, “Everything you do in the military, makes you better at fighting. You get up early, you learn about your diet, you learn about being able to sleep when it’s important. The military pounds that into you”.
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Overall, Tim Kennedy’s presence along with the guidance and instruction of Saint Denis’ coach, Daniel Woirin is almost an unfair combination. Considering the wealth of knowledge he will be getting from both sides, Benoit will be as prepared as one can be. With that said, will it be enough to overcome a veteran of the fight game like Dustin Poirier? Only time will tell.