Joel Alvarez and Benoit Saint Denis have begun a joint training camp in Bayonne, France, under coach Nicolas Ott. The two lightweights were scheduled to fight each other a year ago, but the bout fell through. Now they are helping each other prepare for their respective upcoming fights. Alvarez is set to face Yaroslav Amosov at UFC 328 on May 9, while Saint Denis does not yet have an announced opponent. Alvarez revealed that Saint Denis reached out to him to arrange the training partnership and believes the Frenchman may be preparing for an opponent with a similar style to his own.
Two lightweight fighters who were once booked to fight each other are now sharing a gym. Joel Alvarez and Benoit Saint Denis have joined forces for a joint training camp in Bayonne, France, working under coach Nicolas Ott as both men prepare for their next assignments in the UFC's 155-pound division.
Alvarez, known as "El Fenomeno," carries a 23-4 record and is ranked 12th in the lightweight division. The 33-year-old Spaniard stands six-foot-three with a 77-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He lands an impressive 4.78 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, and his submission game is active, averaging 1.1 attempts per 15 minutes. Alvarez is set to face Yaroslav Amosov at UFC 328 on May 9.
Saint Denis, nicknamed "God of War," sits above his training partner at ninth in the lightweight rankings and brings a 17-3 record into whatever fight comes next for the 30-year-old southpaw. At five-foot-eleven with a 73-inch reach, he is one of the more well-rounded threats in the division, landing 5.62 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy while also averaging an elite 4.19 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts in that same span. No opponent has yet been announced for him.
According to Alvarez, it was Saint Denis who reached out to initiate the partnership. Alvarez also noted that Saint Denis may be targeting an opponent with a stylistic profile similar to his own, which would make their work together mutually beneficial.
Why it matters
- Alvarez faces Amosov, a 30-1 grappler averaging 4.64 takedowns and 4.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes, making Saint Denis's elite wrestling a valuable training tool
- Saint Denis potentially using Alvarez's style as a template suggests his matchmakers may be eyeing a striker for his next booking
- A win for Alvarez over Amosov could push the 12th-ranked Spaniard closer to the top ten, tightening an already competitive lightweight picture
Saturday, May 9, 2026
