Benjamin Saunders (born April 13, 1983), is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who currently fights in the

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

division. He was a featured fighter on '' The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra'', fighting on Team Serra. A professional competitor since 2004, Saunders has formerly competed in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

and Bellator.

Background

Saunders was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he lived until he was in the third grade when he moved to

Coral Springs, Florida Coral Springs, officially the City of Coral Springs, is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is located approximately northwest of Fort Lauderdale. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 134,394. It is a ...

. Saunders parents were divorced, and as a result he lived with his father. His older brother, Jacob, who practiced karate, helped teach his younger brother about the

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...

. His twin brother, Joe, is a former member of the Florida Legislature. When Saunders was eight years old, he had a friend who was learning

Tang Soo Do Tang Soo Do (Hangul: 당수도, Hanja: 唐手道 ) refers to a Korean martial art based on Karate and may include fighting principles from subak (as described in the Kwon Bup Chong Do), as well as northern Chinese martial arts. Before the ...

, which the two soon began practicing daily. However, due to poor financial status Saunders was unable to pay for legitimate instruction. At the age of 14, Saunders began training in

Jeet Kune Do Jeet Kune Do is a primarily wing chun kung fu inspired eclectic martial arts philosophy heavily influenced and adapted by the Taoist personal life philosophy and experiences of martial artist Bruce Lee. Overview and philosophy Jeet Kune Do ...

and worked at fast food restaurants so that he could pay the tuition. He worked out with his

J. P. Taravella High School J. P. Taravella High School is a secondary school located in Coral Springs, Florida which teaches grades 9–12. The school is a part of the Broward County Public Schools district. The school was named after Joseph Phillip Taravella (1919–1978), ...

wrestling team where he learned

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

techniques in exchange for submission techniques that he knew. Saunders, although not an instigator of street fights, did not back down from challenges and was also involved in countless street fights while growing up. At the age of 18, Saunders told his parents that he was leaving for

Valencia College Valencia College is a public college in Orlando, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System. The college was founded in 1967 as Valencia Junior College and changed its name in 2010 because the academic scope of the school had expanded to i ...

, when in fact he was going to train with

Din Thomas Din Yero Thomas (born September 28, 1976) is an American former mixed martial artist who was featured on '' The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback''. In the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Thomas is a UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Semifinalist. H ...

to become a professional fighter.

Mixed martial arts career

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Saunders defeated Dan Barrera in the first round of the competition by majority decision. Saunders reportedly contracted influenza after the Barrera bout. Despite the illness, Saunders competed in the quarter-finals against

Tom Speer Thomas Speer (born August 20, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2005 until 2013, he received national exposure on '' The Ultimate Fighter 6: Team Hughes vs. Team Serra'', fighting as a member of Tea ...

, losing via unanimous decision.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Saunders defeated Dan Barrera at The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes vs Team Serra Finale by unanimous decision. In his second career UFC fight, Saunders defeated UFC newcomer

Ryan Thomas Ryan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) *Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Australia * Division of Ryan, an electo ...

by armbar in the second round. In his third career UFC fight he fought

Brandon Wolff Brandon W.K. Wolff (born October 18, 1975) is an American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and former United States Navy SEALs, Navy SEAL, who is perhaps best known for his short stint in the Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight division of t ...

, defeating him in the first round via TKO with knees from the Thai clinch, landing 42 knees on his opponent. This left Wolff's face a bloody and swollen mess. After the bout many comparisons were made between him and

Anderson Silva Anderson da Silva (; born 14 April 1975) is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and boxer. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. This started in 2006 an ...

, who is also known for his Thai clinch prowess. Saunders' next fight was supposed to be at

UFC 96 ''UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). It was held in Columbus, Ohio on March 7, 2009 at Nationwide Arena. Background The card was headlined by a Light Heavyweight bout be ...

against Welterweight standout

Dustin Hazelett Dustin Tyler Hazelett (born April 29, 1986) is a retired American mixed martial artist who had fought as a Welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Hazelett was born in Louisa, Kentucky, USA. Hazelett began training in mar ...

, but due to injury Hazelett pulled out of the match. Saunders was then set to face UFC newcomer Ryan Madigan. However, Saunders later pulled out of the match due to an injured foot. On February 28, 2009, it was confirmed that Saunders would be facing

Mike Swick Michael Timothy Swick (born June 19, 1979) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist, who spent most of his career competing for the UFC's middleweight division. Swick, who trains at American Kickboxing Academy alongside fellow we ...

UFC 99 ''UFC 99: The Comeback'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on June 13, 2009 in Cologne, Germany. Background This event was the first UFC event held in Germany, as well as the first in mainland Europe ...

. Saunders was defeated by Swick by TKO in the second round. As Swick struck, Saunders ducked into Swick's striking range every time which essentially cost him the fight. Saunders defeated

Marcus Davis Marcus Paul Davis (born August 24, 1973), is an American professional mixed martial artist and former professional boxer who is perhaps best known for competing in the UFC. A professional MMA competitor from 2003 until 2014, Davis also compete ...

on November 21, 2009, via KO due to multiple knees at 3:24 into the first round at

UFC 106 ''UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on November 21, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Background As with UFC 103 and UFC 104, a portion of the preliminary card ai ...

making him the first man to knock out Davis. Saunders was expected to face off against top ten welterweight

Martin Kampmann Martin Kampmann Frederiksen (born April 17, 1982) is a retired Danish professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is a former Cage Warriors World Middleweight Champion. Background Originally from Aar ...

UFC 111 ''UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on March 27, 2010 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, United States. Background The ''UFC Primetime'' series returned t ...

in March. However, an injury forced Kampmann off the card and Saunders was set to face

Jake Ellenberger Jacob Steven "Jake" Ellenberger (born March 28, 1985) is an American retired mixed martial artist and former United States Marine who was known for competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor from 2005–2018, ...

. On March 25, 2010, news broke that Thiago Alves's pre-fight CT scan found an irregularity in his brain, and he was not cleared to fight. Saunders asked to fight Alves's opponent and former #1 contender

Jon Fitch Jonathan Parker Fitch (born February 24, 1978) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He has competed in the Welterweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and most recently for ...

, forcing Saunder's opponent Ellenberger out of the match. Saunders lost to Fitch by unanimous decision. Saunders next faced

Dennis Hallman Dennis Lloyd Hallman (born December 2, 1975) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed from 1996 to 2015. A veteran of 75 fights, he competed in various promotions including the UFC, Strikeforce, IFL, the World Seri ...

on August 7, 2010 at

UFC 117 ''UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 7, 2010 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, United States. Background UFC President Dana White announced via ESPN on Jim Ro ...

. Ben lost the fight by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28). Following the loss, Saunders was cut from the UFC.

Bellator

On February 3, it was announced by Bellator that they had signed Saunders to compete in their Welterweight division. Although he will not be a part of the Season Four Tournament, Saunders fights aired live on the main card. At

Bellator 39 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

Saunders defeated Matt Lee by TKO (doctor stoppage) in the third round after brutalizing Lee in the clinch with knees and elbows for most of the fight. Saunders was expected to fight at Bellator 47 but had to pull out of the event due to an undisclosed injury he suffered in training. Saunders was expected to face

Rick Hawn Rick Hawn (born September 15, 1976) is a former Olympic judoka and professional mixed martial artist. A professional MMA fighter from 2009 - 2015, Hawn most notably competed for Bellator MMA, where he won the Bellator Season 6 Lightweight Tourn ...

Bellator 49 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

. But Hawn later pulled out of the bout due to a knee injury. Saunders instead fought replacement Chris Cisneros. Saunders won by TKO in the third round. In the semifinals, Saunders faced Luis Santos at Bellator 53. After getting taken down in the beginning of the first round, Saunders controlled the round by stifling Santos' offense and going for many submission attempts, transitioning from the reverse triangle to the omoplata. The second round played out in similar fashion with Saunders almost getting an omoplata and a carni on two separate occasions. Saunders eventually submitted his opponent via americana armlock transitioning from an arm triangle attempt while in half guard in the third round. In the finals, he faced

Douglas Lima Douglas Lima (born 5 January 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of Bellator MMA, where he is a former three-time Bellator Welterweight Champion. He is also the former MFC Welterweight Champion. ...

Bellator 57 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

and lost via KO in the second round. Saunders took part in Bellator Season Six Welterweight Tournament. Saunders faced Raul Amaya in the quarterfinals at

Bellator 63 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so ...

and won by unanimous decision. Saunders lost by unanimous decision to Bryan Baker in the semifinals at Bellator 67. Saunders defeated Brian Warren in just 22 seconds of the first round by TKO due to Knee Strikes at

Bellator 72 2012 in Bellator MMA was the sixth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships, which began on March 9, 2012. The sixth season of Bellator was originally scheduled to begin on March 2, 2012. However, the debut was pushed back a week so ...

. Bellator MMA announced Saunders as a competitor in the Bellator's Season Eight Welterweight Tournament. Saunders defeated Koffi Adzitso via unanimous decision at Bellator 86 in the Quarterfinals. Saunders rematched Raul Amaya at

Bellator 90 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

in the semifinals and won via KO due to a head kick in round one. Saunders was scheduled to face

in a rematch in the tournament final at

Bellator 93 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. However, Lima broke his hand so the match was rescheduled for later this year. Saunders eventually faced Lima on September 20, 2013 at Bellator 100. He lost the fight via knockout due to a head kick in the second round. After the loss, Saunders was released from the promotion.

Titan Fighting Championships

In June 2014, Saunders signed with

Titan Fighting Championships Titan Fighting Championship (Titan FC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion based out of Pompano Beach, Florida. Their shows were originally run in and near Kansas City and have since expanded to include venues all over North America and e ...

. For his first fight with the promotion, Saunders was scheduled face UFC veteran

Matt Riddle Matthew Fredrick Riddle (born January 14, 1986, in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is currently inactive due ...

for the vacant TFC Welterweight Championship at Titan FC 29 on August 22, 2014. Riddle, however, withdrew from the bout and was replaced by MMA veteran Jose Landi-Jons. However, that fight was cancelled when Titan FC granted Saunders permission to return to the UFC.

Return to the UFC

On August 7, 2014, it was announced that Saunders would return to fight for the UFC. Saunders faced promotional newcomer Chris Heatherly on August 23, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 49 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 49'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 23, 2014, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Background The event was headlined by Lightweight contenders Benson ...

. He was successful in his return, winning the fight in the first round with the first successful

omoplata An armlock in grappling is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow joint or shoulder joint. An armlock that hyper-extends the arm is known as an armbar, and it includes the traditional armbar, ...

submission in the UFC. The impressive victory also earned Saunders his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Saunders then faced

Joe Riggs Joseph Jonathan Riggs (born September 23, 1982) is an American professional bare-knuckle boxer and former mixed martial artist who is currently signed to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2001, Riggs formerly c ...

on December 13, 2014 at

UFC on Fox 13 ''UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 13'') was a mixed martial arts event held at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 13, 2014. Background The event was the first that the organization has hosted in ...

. He won the fight by TKO due to injury after Riggs hurt his neck during a takedown and tapped out. Saunders was expected to face

Erick Silva Erick Vinicius Silva (born June 21, 1984) is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division. A professional from 2005 till 2019, he competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator MMA, and Jungle Fight, ...

on March 21, 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 62 ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. LaFlare'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 62'') was a mixed martial arts event held on March 21, 2015, at the Ginásio do Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background After hosting a PPV event at the venue a ...

. However, he pulled out of the fight in early March citing an injury. Saunders faced

Kenny Robertson Kenneth Duane Robertson (born February 14, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist. A professional mixed martial artist since 2008, he has also competed for the UFC and Bellator. Before MMA In high school he wrestled for Metamora Township ...

on July 25, 2015 at UFC on Fox 16. He won the back-and-forth fight by split decision. Saunders faced Patrick Côté on January 17, 2016 at

UFC Fight Night 81 ''UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 81'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 17, 2016, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Background A UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between defending ...

. He lost by TKO in the second round. Saunders next faced

Court McGee Courtney Scott "Court" McGee (born December 12, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local prom ...

on January 15, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 103 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Saunders faced

Peter Sobotta Peter Sobotta (born January 11, 1987) is a retired Polish-born German professional mixed martial artist, who fought in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2004, Sobotta has also f ...

on May 28, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 109 ''UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 109'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on May 28, 2017, at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. Background Preliminar ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. Saunders faced

Alan Jouban Alan Michael Joubanhttp://boxing.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/boxingnvgov/content/results/2016_Results/07-07-16MMA.pdf (born November 25, 1982) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division. A profess ...

on February 24, 2018 at

UFC on Fox 28 ''UFC on Fox: Emmett vs. Stephens'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 28'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on February 24, 2018, at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, United States. Background The even ...

. He lost the back-and-forth fight via knockout in the second round. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night bonus. Saunders faced

on June 1, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 131 ''UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 131'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 1, 2018, at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. Background ...

, replacing an injured

Bryan Barberena Bryan Paul Barberena (born May 3, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2009, he has also competed for King of the Cage. B ...

. Saunders won the fight by TKO due to a knee to the liver and punches. This win earn him

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

award. Saunders faced

Sérgio Moraes Sérgio Ricardo de Moraes (born July 23, 1982) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the welterweight and middleweight division's for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was a competitor on '' The Ultimat ...

on September 22, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 137. He lost the fight via a submission in round two. Saunders faced

Lyman Good Lyman Merrill Good (born May 26, 1985), also known as "American Cyborg", is an American mixed martial artist. He is perhaps best known for his time spent with Bellator, where he was the inaugural Bellator Welterweight Champion. Good currently c ...

on November 3, 2018 at

UFC 230 ''UFC 230: Cormier vs. Lewis'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on November 3, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship bo ...

, replacing an injured Sultan Aliev. He lost the fight via knockout in round one. Saunders faced promotional newcomer

Takashi Sato is a Japanese mixed martial artist. A professional since 2013, he currently competes in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Early life Born to a Japanese father and Taiwanese mother, Sato grew up in Shinjuk ...

on April 27, 2019 at UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. Saunders faced Matt Brown December 14, 2019 at

UFC 245 ''UFC 245: Usman vs. Covington'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 14, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. B ...

. He lost the fight via knockout in the second round. The fight marked the last fight of Saunders' prevailing contract and the UFC opted not to renew it, making Saunders a free agent.

Post UFC

Saunders faced

Ramsey Nijem Pedro Ramsey Nijem ( ar, رامزي نجم, born April 1, 1988) is an American retired mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor from 2008 to 2021, Nijem is perhaps best known for his 10-fight stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championshi ...

on July 30, 2021 at XMMA 2. He won the bout via unanimous decision. Saunders has also announced that he will be opening a new branch of 10th Planet, in Orlando, Florida, where he will serve as the head coach.

Championships and accomplishments

*Combat Fighting Championships **CFC Welterweight Championship (One time) *

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(Two times) vs. Chris Heatherly and

** Fight of the Night (One time) vs.

World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...

**2014 Submission of the Year vs. Chris Heatherly

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 23–13–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , XMMA 2: Saunders vs. Nijem , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Greenville, South Carolina, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–13–2 , Matt Brown , KO (elbow and punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:55 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–12–2 ,

, TKO (punches and elbows) , UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:18 , Sunrise, Florida, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–11–2 ,

, KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:32 ,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, New York, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–10–2 ,

, Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Anders , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:42 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 22–9–2 ,

, TKO (knee to body and punches) , UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:56 ,

Utica, New York Utica () is a city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 in the 2020 U.S. Census. Located on the Mohawk River at the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–9–2 ,

, KO (punch) , UFC on Fox: Emmett vs. Stephens , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:38 , Orlando, Florida, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–8–2 ,

, TKO (punches and knee) , UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Teixeira , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:29 , Stockholm, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 21–7–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Penn , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–7–2 ,

Jacob Volkmann Minnesota Golden Gophers Jacob Joseph Volkmann (born September 5, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Volkmann has formerly competed for t ...

, Submission (armbar) , Fight Night at the Island , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:17 ,

Welch, Minnesota Welch is an unincorporated community in Welch Township, Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States. Welch is along County 7 Boulevard near Highway 61, 36 miles southeast of St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩ� ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–7–2 , Patrick Côté , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:14 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–6–2 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC on Fox: Dillashaw vs. Barão 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–6–2 ,

, TKO (neck injury) , UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:57 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–6–2 , Chris Heatherly , Submission (omoplata) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:18 ,

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–6–2 ,

, KO (head kick) , Bellator 100 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:33 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–5–2 , Raul Amaya , KO (head kick) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:56 ,

West Valley City, Utah West Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 140,230 at the 2020 census, making it the second-largest city in Utah. The city incorporated in 1980 from a large, quic ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5–2 , Koffi Adzitso , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 86 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Thackerville, Oklahoma Thackerville is a town in Love County, Oklahoma. It is located in South Central Oklahoma. The population was 445 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Thackerville is located at (33. ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5–2 , Brian Warren , TKO (knees) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:22 ,

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5–2 , Bryan Baker , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 67 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Rama, Ontario Rama is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations community on the Chippewas of Rama First Nation reserve in Ontario, Canada. It is the home of Casino Rama. The community sports complex is called the Mnjikaning Arena Sports Ki, which was the ho ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4–2 , Raul Amaya , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ea ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4–2 ,

, KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:21 ,

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3–2 , Luis Santos , Submission (americana) , Bellator 53 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:45 ,

Miami, Oklahoma Miami ( ) is a city in and county seat of Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States, founded in 1891. Lead and zinc mining were established by 1918, causing the area's economy to boom. This area was part of Indian Territory. Miami is the capital of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3–2 , Chris Cisneros , TKO (knee and punches) ,

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References

External links

* *
Ben Saunders' The Ultimate Fighter bioBen Saunders' TUF 6 Blog
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, Ben American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Florida Mixed martial artists utilizing Jeet Kune Do Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Welterweight mixed martial artists Living people 1983 births People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Fort Lauderdale, Florida American Jeet Kune Do practitioners People from Coral Springs, Florida Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters

Background

Mixed martial arts career

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Bellator

Titan Fighting Championships

Return to the UFC

Post UFC

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

See also

References

External links