UFC Paris Result: Benoit Saint-Denis stops Mauricio Ruffy with rear-naked choke. Benoit Saint-Denis delivered a dominant performance in the co-main event of UFC Paris. Facing the highly touted Mauricio Ruffy, Saint-Denis showcased his relentless grappling and submission skills, earning an emphatic second-round victory.
On September 6, 2025, the UFC returned to the iconic Accor Arena in Paris, France, for a night of high-stakes action at UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs. Borralho. While the main event delivered fireworks in the middleweight division, the co-main event delivered its own spectacle, featuring a lightweight clash between Benoit Saint-Denis and Mauricio Ruffy.
Benoit Saint-Denis has long been a fan favorite in Paris, having fought and won on previous UFC Paris cards. However, the past year tested his resilience like never before. In March 2024, he faced former interim champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 299. Despite a strong opening round, Saint-Denis fell to a second-round knockout. Just six months later, in September 2024, Saint-Denis suffered another setback when Renato Moicano forced a doctor stoppage TKO at UFC Paris after opening a deep cut above his eye. But redemption came in May 2025, when he submitted Kyle Prepolec in the second round at UFC 315 in Montreal, proving that he’s still a major threat.
His opponent, Mauricio Ruffy, made his UFC debut at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro on May 4, 2024, knocking out Jamie Mullarkey in the first round. He followed that up with a unanimous decision win over James Llontop at UFC 309 in November 2024, showcasing endurance and composure in a three-round battle Most recently, in March 2025, Ruffy delivered one of the year’s most spectacular finishes, a first-round spinning wheel kick knockout of King Green at UFC 313, earning Performance of the Night bonus.
Ruffy made his way into the octagon first with styles and confidence , one could tell he was ready for the fight. Denis in a while short followed after . From the opening bell, it was clear that Benoit Saint-Denis came in with a game plan, and he wasted no time executing it. Within the first 30 seconds of the fight, Saint-Denis imposed his will by shooting for a takedown and successfully dragged Mauricio Ruffy to the canvas. This early takedown was the perfect start for him as it immediately put Ruffy’s grappling defense to the test.
Despite being placed in a tough position early, Ruffy showed resilience and composure. He worked hard defensively, eventually managing to scramble back to his feet, but Saint-Denis wasn’t about to let him settle. Before Ruffy could get anything significant going on at all, the relentless pressure of Saint-Denis came right back. He then shot in for another takedown and planted Ruffy on the mat once again. There was a brief pause in the action when Ruffy suffered a low blow, but after a short recovery period, the fight resumed. Saint-Denis continued to dominate and dictate the pace, leaving no doubt that he had taken control of the opening round on the scorecards as the horn sounded.
Round two started with a little more urgency from Ruffy, who knew he had work to do. This time, he had some success in the striking exchanges. The Brazilian landed a flashy jumping knee that connected clean, and he managed to score with punches whenever he was able to create space and keep the fight at range. For a moment, it seemed like Ruffy was finding his rhythm but that moment didn’t last long. Saint-Denis refused to give him any breathing room, but continued pressing forward, cutting off the cage, and forcing him back against the fence.
Once Ruffy was trapped with nowhere to go, Denis secured another takedown, and dragged the fight back to the canvas where he had already dominated. From there, it became a matter of time. Saint-Denis stayed patient, wore Ruffy down with his smothering top control, and as the seconds ticked by, he advanced his position. Eventually, he took Ruffy’s back and locked in a vicious face crank. The submission was tight and inescapable, leaving Ruffy with no choice but to tap at 2:56 of the second round, sealing another big win for Saint-Denis in front of his home fans.
After the fight, Saint-Denis didn’t hesitate to talk about what’s next. He made it clear that he’s open to stepping back into the Octagon on short notice in the coming months if a top-10 lightweight needs an opponent. His confidence was clear. With this victory, Saint-Denis now has two straight wins after suffering the first back-to-back losses of his career. Impressively, every single one of his wins has come by either knockout or submission.
For Ruffy, this loss marks the first setback of his UFC career after entering the fight on a three-fight winning streak in the promotion. It’s a tough pill to swallow for the rising contender, but one that will surely expose the areas of his game that need work moving forward.
Check out UFC Paris results below.
Main Card
Nassourdine Imavov def. Caio Borralho via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46 x2)
Benoit Saint Denis def. Mauricio Ruffy via submission (RNC) (R2, 2:56)
Modestas Bukauskas def. Paul Craig via first-round KO (5:00)
Mason Jones def. Bolaji Oki via second-round TKO (3:18)
Axel Sola def. Rhys McKee via third-round TKO (2:02)
William Gomis def. Robert Ruchala via unanimous decision
Preliminary Card
Oumar Sy def. Brendson Ribeiro via first-round TKO (4:42)
Ante Delija def. Marcin Tybura via first-round KO (2:03)
Kaue Fernandes def. Harry Hardwick via first-round TKO (3:21)
Sam Patterson def. Trey Waters via first-round TKO (3:01)
Robert Bryczek def. Brad Tavares via third-round TKO (1:43)
Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Andreas Gustafsson via first-round TKO (0:54)
Sam Hughes def. Shauna Bannon via submission (RNC) (R2, 1:58)
