Joel Alvarez and Benoit Saint Denis have begun a joint training camp in Bayonne, France, working 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 upcoming fights. Alvarez is set to face Yaroslav Amosov at UFC 328 on May 9th, while Saint Denis does not yet have an announced opponent. According to Alvarez, Saint Denis reached out to arrange the training partnership, and the Frenchman suggested he may be preparing for an opponent with a similar style to Alvarez's, though he hasn't revealed who.
Joel Alvarez and Benoit Saint Denis are sharing a training camp in Bayonne, France ahead of UFC 328, working together under coach Nicolas Ott despite nearly meeting inside the octagon themselves just a year ago.
Alvarez, known as "El Fenomeno," enters the camp with a 23-4 record and sits ranked 12th in the lightweight division. The 33-year-old Spaniard stands six-foot-three with a 77-inch reach and trains out of Bandog Fight Club. He is a high-volume striker, landing 4.78 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, and adds a submission threat with 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. At UFC 328 on May 9th, he is scheduled to face Yaroslav Amosov.
Amosov carries a 30-1 record and brings a strong grappling base to the matchup, averaging 4.64 takedowns and 4.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes. The 32-year-old stands six feet tall with a 75-inch reach and holds a 47 percent striking accuracy.
Saint Denis, nicknamed "God of War," is ranked ninth at lightweight with a 17-3 record. The 30-year-old Frenchman is a southpaw standing five-foot-eleven with a 73-inch reach. He is one of the division's most active wrestlers, averaging 4.19 takedowns per 15 minutes, and also produces 5.62 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. He does not yet have an announced opponent for UFC 328.
According to Alvarez, Saint Denis initiated the training partnership. The Frenchman has hinted he may be preparing for an opponent with a stylistic profile similar to Alvarez's, though he has not identified who that opponent might be.
Why it matters
- Alvarez faces a dangerous submission specialist in Amosov, making high-level wrestling exposure in camp especially valuable
- Saint Denis's hint about a stylistically similar opponent suggests his own matchup announcement could be imminent
- Both men are ranked inside the lightweight top 12, so strong performances at UFC 328 could reshape the division's contender picture
Saturday, May 9, 2026
