BENOÎT SAINT DENIS

Hailing from France, lightweight competitor Benoît Saint Denis transitioned to mixed martial arts after serving in his nation's special forces, including deployment in the Mali War. Operating out of the Bulgarian Top Team, the aggressive southpaw utilizes his expertise as a judo black belt and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt. His submission-heavy style has defined his run in the UFC's lightweight division.

Entering UFC Fight Night: du Plessis vs. Usman with a 17-4 (1 NC) record, Saint Denis recently saw a four-fight winning streak snapped. That successful run featured submission victories over Kyle Prepolec and Maurício Ruffy, followed by knockout finishes of Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker. However, just one week prior to this event, he suffered a technical submission loss to Paddy Pimblett.