Benoit Saint-Denis’ Tattoos: Meanings Behind the UFC Star’s Ink

For Benoit Saint-Denis, every tattoo carved into his skin is a chapter of war, faith, and loyalty. Fans know him as the ‘God of War,’ a relentless lightweight who once stopped five opponents in a row in the UFC. Yet when the gloves come off, another story remains visible—the one written across his body.

Saint-Denis has always lived like a soldier, whether in the French Special Forces or inside the Octagon. He once won an amateur MMA tournament just fifteen days after starting training. That same fire now burns through his tattoos, each piece reflecting his beliefs and the battles he carries with him. So what do they all mean?

Decoding Benoit Saint-Denis’ back tattoo: Joan of Arc

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.

This tattoo is of the French national heroine, Joan of Arc, who rallied her countrymen against an invasion from the English during the Hundred Years’ War. She was, of course, captured by the English and tried on the charge 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. 

Military-inspired tattoos of Benoit Saint-Denis

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. 

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.

Breakdown of Benoit Saint-Denis’ other ink

Benoit Saint-Davis 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.

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