MMA Match Preview: Benoit Saint Denis (15-3, 1 NC) vs. Mauricio Ruffy (12-2)
Venue & Event Details
Event: UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs. Borralho
Bout: Benoît “God of War” Saint Denis (France) vs. Mauricio Ruffy (Brazil) – Lightweight (155 lbs) – 3 Rounds
Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025
Location: Accor Arena, Paris, France
Main Card Start: 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT
Co-Main Event Walks: ~5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT
Broadcast:
USA: ESPN+
UK: TNT Sports / discovery+
France: RMC Sport
Injury & Availability Report
Benoît Saint Denis: No reported injuries; completed full camp at MMA Factory in Paris. Coming off a May 2025 win over Kyle Prepolec after recovering from a difficult 2024 campaign.
Mauricio Ruffy: No reported injuries; camp split between The Fighting Nerds in Brazil and U.S. training partners. Entered fight week on a seven-fight win streak before this matchup.
Fighter Profiles & Matchup Breakdown
Benoît “God of War” Saint Denis (15–3, 1 NC) – France
Age: 29
Height/Reach: 5’11” / 73″ reach
Style: Relentless pressure grappler with improving striking
UFC Record: 7–3 (all wins by finish)
Key Strengths:
Chain wrestling and suffocating top control
High submission threat (arm triangle, rear-naked choke)
Exceptional cardio and grit in high-paced fights
Recent Form:
W – Mauricio Ruffy (SUB R2)
W – Kyle Prepolec (SUB R2)
L – Renato Moicano (TKO)
L – Dustin Poirier (KO)
W – Matt Frevola (KO)
Tactical Notes: Saint Denis thrives when he can close distance, initiate clinches, and drag opponents into grappling-heavy exchanges. His striking is functional but secondary to his mauling style.
Mauricio Ruffy (12–2) – Brazil
Age: 28
Height/Reach: 6’0” / 74″ reach
Style: Dynamic striker with knockout power and flashy kicks
UFC Record: 3–1
Key Strengths:
Explosive, creative striking arsenal (spinning heel kick KO at UFC 313)
Solid takedown defense when fresh
Finishing instinct when he hurts opponents
Recent Form:
L – Benoît Saint Denis (SUB R2)
W – King Green (KO R1)
W – James Llontop (UD)
W – Jamie Mullarkey (KO R2)
Tactical Notes: Ruffy’s best chance is to maintain range, punish entries with intercepting strikes, and avoid prolonged clinch or mat exchanges where Saint Denis excels.
Fight History & Context
First Meeting: This bout at UFC Paris 2025 was their first professional encounter.
In-Fight Summary: Saint Denis’ forward pressure and grappling neutralized Ruffy’s striking. After controlling Round 1 on the mat, Saint Denis secured a rear-naked choke at 2:56 of Round 2.
Career Stakes: For Saint Denis, the win marked back-to-back stoppages after a rough 2024, re-establishing him as a top-15 lightweight threat. For Ruffy, it ended a seven-fight win streak and served as his first UFC loss.
Betting Trends
Saint Denis: All 7 UFC wins by finish; 4 of last 5 wins via submission.
Ruffy: 9 of 12 career wins inside the distance; 2 of 3 UFC wins by KO.
Paris Factor: French fighters are 7–3 overall in UFC Paris events since 2022.
Style Trend: Grapplers with sustained pressure have historically fared well against flashy strikers in 3-round co-mains.
FIGHT ODDS
Benoit Saint Denis + 150
Mauricio Ruffy – 180
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, September 5, 2025
