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Benoit Saint-Denis Tattoos: Meaning, Story, and the Army Connection Behind the UFC Star’s Inks

Published 03/08/2024, 1:05 AM EST

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Benoit Saint-Denis is on the cusp of something big. The former French Special Forces member has made quite a splash in his six fights in the UFC so far, having managed to stop his opponents within two rounds in his five previous fights after losing on his UFC debut. The UFC has set him up to announce himself in his upcoming bout against #3 ranked Dustin Poirier who has only been fighting top-five ranked opponents since 2019.

‘BSD’, ranked #12 in the division, will certainly find himself in the top five if he manages to beat ‘Diamond’ at their UFC 299 clash on March 9. It would also put him straight into title contention and may spell the end of Poirier’s career, who will be making his thirtieth appearance in the UFC octagon. As he sets up for the most important fight of his career, we take a look at the Frenchman’s tattoos and the significance behind them.

Benoit Saint-Danis’ army tattoos and the meaning behind them

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Benoit Saint-Denis was a member of the French Special Forces, like his father. He got his love for martial arts from his father, who used to compete in judo at a good level. The Frenchman has fond memories of serving in the unit and still has many friends in the service; he revealed in a recent interview with TNT Sports, where he discussed the meaning and significance behind his tattoos.

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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’ served in the army for five years before he started training to become a professional fighter in 2017. In addition, he has three other tattoos on his body that hold significance and meaning for him.

Other tattoos of Benoit Saint-Danis

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Benoit Saint-Davis has a tattoo of the logo of the first gym where he started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on his right bicep. On his back, he has a portrait of Joan of Arc, a Catholic saint and a national heroine of France who helped the Kingdom of France resist English invaders during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years’ War.

This tattoo is a symbol of his love for France and his Christian faith. 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.

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Fans can see Saint-Denis’ tattoos as he steps into the Octagon this weekend at the UFC 299 co-main event. What are your predictions for this fight? And which of his tattoos is your favorite?

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Written by:

Kanishk Thakur

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Kanishk Thakur is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports with nearly 5 years of professional writing experience. Kanishk has expertly covered the heated rivalries of the fight game, and delivered meticulous reports of payouts of PPV events and Fight Nights, in addition to covering the personal side of fighters outside the sport. He is also an ardent Joe Rogan fan, who hopes to draw in more fans to the sport as Rogan did for him.
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Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen