Benoit Saint-Denis put an end to the Mauricio Ruffy hype train earlier today (Sat., Sept. 6, 2025) at UFC Paris LIVE on ESPN+ from inside Accor Arena in Paris, France, ending the flashy Fighting Nerds striker with a dominant second-round submission (rear-naked choke).
Despite his UFC resume and well-rounded fighting style (not to mention fighting on home soil), BSD was a sizeable betting underdog for his co-main event matchup with Ruffy. That’s due in part to Ruffy’s dominance inside of the Octagon
and Saint-Denis’ two previous losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano. Still, it was ultimately a complete showing for BSD as he reminded the lightweight division that he remains a future title challenger.
Saint-Denis came straight out of the gate with a clean kick to the body that seemed to hurt Ruffy. A few moments later, BSD began to implement his grappling and takedowns to suffocate Ruffy on the ground. Ruffy, who never got a chance to show off his striking, offered some impressive reversals, but Saint-Denis always found a way to stay in control.
The French contender eventually found a chance to finish Ruffy midway through the second round with a rear-naked choke along the fence. Ruffy tried to keep his chin tucked and fought the hands, but BSD would not be denied. Ruffy eventually tapped and the French crowd went completely bonkers.
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