Benoit Saint-Denis wears every tattoo as a testament to war, faith, and loyalty. Fans call him the ‘God of War,’ a relentless lightweight who stopped five opponents in a row in the UFC. Beyond his fight record, his body also tells another story, one of battles fought both inside and outside the Octagon. His fights always deliver blood, and now he brings that same fire back to the Octagon this weekend at UFC 325 against Dan Hooker.

 Clearly, Benoit Saint-Denis has always fought like a warrior. Whether he served in the French Special Forces or stepped into the Octagon, Saint-Denis has lived like a soldier. Remarkably, he won an amateur MMA tournament just fifteen days after starting training. Today, that same intensity flows through his tattoos, with each one reflecting his beliefs and the battles he carries. So, what do they all mean?

What is the meaning of Benoit Saint-Denis’s back tattoo?

Benoit Saint Denis is French and pretty damn proud of it. “French MMA is growing, and I want to show the world what we are capable of. I fight for my country, my people, and the warriors who came before me,” Saint Denis once said about his love for his homeland. In addition, ‘God of War’ seems to be a very proud Christian. The former French Special Forces operative combined his love for France and Christianity in a beautiful back tattoo, all done in black.

The tattoo shows the French national heroine Joan of Arc, who symbolizes courage and unwavering faith. She famously rallied her countrymen against the English invasion during the Hundred Years’ War. Ultimately, the English captured her and tried her on charges of heresy.

Found guilty and brutally burned at the stake, she remained defiant to her last breath. Joan was later elevated to Sainthood and was declared one of the patron saints of France. No wonder the proud Frenchman and Christian Saint Denis finds inspiration from her. In fact, he also sports tattoos that have a deep connection to his time in the military. 

Are there any other tattoos on Benoit Saint-Denis’s body?

Yes, Benoit Saint-Denis has several other tattoos on his body, including a temple cross on his chest, a samurai helmet, and the French Special Forces dagger. Let’s begin with the special dagger.

Benoit Saint-Denis was a member of the French Special Forces, like his father before him. He got his love for martial arts from his father. Both the father and the son are black belts in judo. Although he was in some pretty hairy situations when he was in the Special Forces and saw a fair bit of action against militants and terrorist groups, the Frenchman has fond memories of serving in the unit and still has many friends in the service. 

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He has the French Special Air Force dagger inked on the back of his left tricep, to remind himself of his military service and the regiment he served in. ‘BSD’, who joined the army when he was 18, served in the army for five years before he started training to become a professional fighter in 2017. In addition, he has a couple of other tattoos on his body that hold significance and meaning for him.

Benoit Saint-Denis has a tattoo of the logo of the first gym where he started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, on his right bicep. This just goes to show you how loyal a guy he is and how much that gym and the training there meant to him. Not to mention the tattoo also shows just how much martial arts means to ‘BSD’. In addition, he also has a samurai helmet on his right bicep, perhaps because of his first martial art, judo’s association with Japanese culture.

The final tattoo he has is a Maltese Cross on his chest, which is surrounded by the Knights Templar inscription “Signum Militie Templi” in Latin. This tattoo is another strong piece of evidence that speaks to ‘BSD’s strong ties to his Christian faith, since the Knight Templars were responsible for protecting Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem when it was under Islamic rule.

Every tattoo on Saint-Denis’ body is more than ink; it’s identity. They tell us of saints and samurai, of soldiers and loyalty, of faith that doesn’t bend. When he enters the cage at UFC Paris against Maurício Ruffy, he won’t just bring fists and footwork. He’ll carry a history painted across his skin.