What Religion Does Benoit Saint Denis Follow? Ethnicity, Languages & More

The TKO Group has brought both of its promotions to France, and after WWE’s success with its PLEs and weekly shows, it’s time for the UFC now. Dana White and company are back at the French capital with UFC Paris, where local hero Benoit Saint Denis will make his return as well. The 29-year-old will be taking on the highly rated Mauricio Ruffy in an eagerly anticipated co-main event matchup.

Benoit Saint Denis is one of the unique fighters on the entire UFC roster. That’s especially because he was a member of the 1st Marine Infantry Paratroopers Regiment, which is a unit within the French Army Special Forces. But let’s take a look at another aspect of Saint Denis’s life, which is his religion, ahead of his fight this weekend.

What religion does Benoit Saint Denis follow?

As his name suggests, Benoit Saint Denis is a practicing Christian man, and for him, his religion and faith are a vital part of his life. The 29-year-old has been pretty vocal about his religious beliefs, and it has helped him nurture important values in his life. Moreover, Saint Denis also has tattoos inked on his body, which are certain religious symbols, including a Templar cross and a piece of art related to France’s patron saint, Joan of Arc.

“I’m a Christian, and I do live my life with the notion of happiness that is with Christianity. And it’s about the mission of protecting people,” Benoit Saint Denis told TNT Sports. The UFC lightweight fighter spoke about his Special Forces mission in Jerusalem, and how his religion’s teachings aligned with his former occupation.

His belief in his faith has really brought Benoit Saint Denis a long way from one walk of life to another. Now that we’ve established his religious affiliation, let us move over to take a look at his origins and background. Here’s what we know.

Saint Denis’ ethnicity and cultural roots

Benoit Saint Denis was born and brought up in France, unlike UFC Paris headliner Nassourdine Imavov, who was actually born in Russia but represents France. So, besides being a citizen of the nation, he’s also of French heritage. Meanwhile, Saint Denis’s city of birth is also home to other ethnic communities, such as the Arabs, certain North African communities, the Afro-French, Portuguese and Italian communities.

Hailing from the French city of Nimes, which has a population of around 150,444 (as of 2022), Benoit Saint Denis was born into a family that has a strong background in the armed forces. Yes, he was getting his lessons about getting tough from a very early age. Saint Denis’s father, who was in the French Army, also had martial arts expertise, as he trained in judo. That was the first martial art that the UFC lightweight fighter started training in at the age of eight.

But besides being a fighter and an ex-Special Forces member, Benoit Saint Denis also has expertise in another thing. If you’re wondering what that is, it is the fact that the Frenchman is also bilingual. Let’s check that out.

Languages Spoken by Benoit Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis is a French native, as we’ve already established earlier, and as such, French is his native language. And although he has spoken about it or confirmed it, it appears that the UFC lightweight fighter’s time in the military that he spent on missions in foreign lands has helped him get sharp in another language, which is English. Saint Denis’ English appears much more fluent than most of the other fighters from his country on the UFC roster.

Well, Benoit Saint Denis’s backstory is quite an interesting thing to discuss. The Frenchman is now looking to stay in the winning column in the UFC, and Dana White is likely to be observing the 155-pound landscape, as two of the most exciting fighters in the division lock horns this weekend in Paris. Who do you have winning at the Accor Arena? Let us know in the comments section down below.