UFC 299: Benoit Saint-Denis Reveals Noble Reasons Behind Special Forces Stint – “Wanted to be a Knight”

In only his five fights in the UFC, Benoit Saint-Denis has made quite a splash. The hyped French UFC prospect has made a statement by finishing his past five opponents within two rounds to announce himself to the UFC world with personalities like fan-favorite UFC commentator and analyst Joe Rogan and former champion Michael Bisping among his fans.

One of the reasons behind the hype and excitement behind him is his background and profession before he took up martial arts professionally. ‘God of War’ is a former French Special Forces operative, having served in Mali and West Africa combatting terrorism there, and is used to being in intense and high-pressure situations owing to this. As he sets up for his upcoming, consequential UFC 299 clash against Dustin Poirier this Saturday, he revealed why he joined the special forces.

Benoit Saint-Denis reveals noble reasons behind joining the army

On the latest episode of ‘UFC 299 Countdown’ on the UFC’s YouTube channel, Saint-Denis opened up about the factors that led him to join the French Army and serve in the Special Forces. His father who was also a former Special Forces member doubtless had an impact on his decision to do so, however, this is not the only reason behind his decision.

In the episode, he revealed wanting to be a knight as a young boy as they were supposed to protect the weak and helpless. However, he soon realized there were no knights anymore and decided to go with the modern equivalent, and chose to join the French Special Forces before embarking on his martial arts journey.

“When I was a little child I wanted to be a knight because the knight is the one protecting the weak. Then I wanted to be in Special Forces. it’s mostly counter-terrorism, protection of high-value personalities like the President, ministers [and] it’s also a help for the country, and you serve not only for yourself but for people, it’s something I wanted to do,” ‘God of War’ said.

Saint-Denis revealed that while he had enjoyed his time in the army, he had become restless in his last year and would actively look for fights just so he could use his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills. “The last year of my career in the army, I was looking for fights because I already trained BJJ. I did the try out for Daniel Woirin’s professional teams. My goal was to become the best warrior and the best version of myself and I’m still on this path,” he added. And he could indeed prove himself to be among the best in the world if he manages to live up to his promise and defeat ‘Diamond’.

‘BSD’ is the next generation of lightweight division

If he wins against Dustin Poirier, Benoit Saint-Denis will find himself in the already stacked lightweight division. He will also be a much-needed fresh face at the top of the division dominated by veterans who have had multiple title shots.

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The UFC, too, seems concerned about this and has been promoting young and hungry fighters such as Arman Tsarukyan, who will face Charles Oliveira in a virtual no. 1 title contender bout at UFC 300 next month.

This is why it would not be surprising if Saint-Denis finds himself two or maybe even fight away from a title shot, perhaps even finds himself in a no. one title contender bout by the end of this year. Either way, if ‘BSD’, who is the favorite going into UFC 299, defeats the #3 ranked Poirier, he will be among the stars who dominate the top echelons of the division shortly.

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