Protecting presidents & fighting terrorists – from the army to UFC

Francois Hollande, a former French president, was protected by Benoit Saint-Denis in 2016.

He has spearheaded counter-terrorism efforts, stopping terrorist extractions, and eradicating threats made by organizations like Boko Haram.

The 29-year-old spent five years in the French military, which ended in 2019, but the most difficult situation of his life was in the UFC, not the army.

Dustin Poirier ended Saint-Denis’ five-fight winning streak in the promotion in March, and he lost to Renato Moicano six months later.

Saint-Denis’ momentum was shattered as he fell from the title picture as a result of his defeats.

Despite having fought for his country before, he was unprepared for the attention a top UFC fighter would receive.

Saint-Denis tells BBC Sport, “Every year in 2024 was the hardest.”

“It’s the pressure,” he said. Despite all the hype and controversy surrounding massive fights, the ability to maintain the same passion and fire for the fight are all under pressure.

Saint-Denis revealed that he had largely been self-training for the fights without the assistance of a trustworthy head coach after Poirier and Moicano lost.

This was different from when he served in the military, where he learned impeccably to follow orders.

Being disciplined, able to have a plan, respect it, and stay close to it was important, Saint-Denis remarked.

He had what he needed in the UFC because he had mentored other members of the French army who helped shape strategy in the most difficult of circumstances.

Saint-Denis faced Kyle Prepolec in May after making the decision to work with Nicolas Ott.

He will next face Brazilian lightweight Mauricio Ruffy on Saturday at UFC Paris, and he will have a different perspective on combat when they meet at Accor Arena.

“Being disciplined, having a good head coach who values you as a person.” Saint-Denis praises his dedication to making a better fighter.

When he enlisted at the age of 18, Saint-Denis, who was born in southern France, joined the French Army Special Forces.

“The sub-Saharan region was where I spent the majority of my time working as a Special Force operator.” So Mali, Burkinabe, and Niger are all there. Saint-Denis claims that he primarily worked against Boko Haram.

The United Kingdom has designated Boko Haram as a terrorist organization, which operates in nations like Nigeria, Niger, and Mali.

Saint-Denis’ work primarily involved tackling the threatposed by organizations like Boko Haram.

“The arrest or the destruction of terrorist threats is going to be the talking point when we’re talking about counter-terrorism.” “Or preventing terrorist extractions in cities like Timbuktu, for example,” Saint-Denis claims.

Along with Hollande, his team was also tasked with defending significant members of the French government when they traveled abroad.

Saint-Denis is fond of his service to the French military.

He claims that it was drawn in and demanding, and that he eventually realized that he was a man because he had been disciplined and able to work hard to accomplish things.

“I loved it because it was very adventurous.”

Although fighting terrorism and competing in the UFC are completely different worlds with distinct pressures, Saint-Denis is not required to consider which is more difficult.