Ovince Saint Preux (born April 8, 1983) is a

Haitian-American Haitian Americans (french: Haïtiens-Américains; ht, ayisyen ameriken) are a group of Americans of full or partial Haitian origin or descent. The largest proportion of Haitians in the United States live in Little Haiti to the South Florida are ...

professional

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 competes in the

light heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

division of the UFC. A professional competitor since 2008, Saint Preux has also formerly competed for Strikeforce, the

XFC Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is a premier international mixed martial arts (MMA) organization based in Spring Lake, Michigan, with offices throughout the United States and South America. The XFC showcases both male and female fighters, a ...

, and Shark Fights. He is known for his unorthodox fighting style, and has gained notability and notoriety for having won four fights using the rare

Von Flue choke A chokehold, choke, stranglehold or, in Judo, shime-waza ( ja, 絞技, translation=constriction technique) is a general term for a grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air (choking)''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' ...

submission, leading to fans renaming it to the "Von Preux choke".

Background

Saint Preux was born in Immokalee, Florida, to

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and s ...

an immigrant parents. He attended Immokalee High School in

Immokalee, Florida (your home) , nickname = , settlement_type = Census-designated place , motto = , image_skyline = File:Immokalee-Zocalo Plaza 2018.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption ...

, where he wrestled, played defensive end for the football team, and ran track. As a wrestler, he compiled a record of 26–1, and was the state's 1A runner-up in his weight class. During his senior year in football, he registered 75 tackles, including a school-record 18 sacks, and was named All-State. In track, he competed in the 110-meter hurdles, the 300-meter hurdles, the discus throw, and the 4x400 relay. Saint Preux played college football for the

Tennessee Volunteers The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity college athletics, intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in NCAA Division I, ...

from 2001 to 2004. After redshirting in 2001, he played primarily as a reserve at both defensive end and

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

. He earned varsity letters in 2002 and 2004, appearing in seventeen games during his college career. He graduated in 2004 with a degree in sociology, and began to train in

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general ...

and

submission grappling Submission wrestling, also known as Submission grappling, Submission fighting a form of competition and a general term for martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission through the ...

. After two unsuccessful attempts at professional football, Saint Preux gave up the sport and began to take an interest in

martial arts 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 preser ...

as a form of training. Saint Preux, who currently trains at Knoxville Martial Arts Academy in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the stat ...

, began to fight professionally at the suggestion of his coach. Saint Preux attributes his confidence in the ring to his membership in

Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, by three Howard University juniors Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, and their faculty a ...

fraternity.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Saint Preux compiled an undefeated amateur MMA record of 5–0 before making his professional MMA debut at VFC 1 against Rodney Wallace, which he lost by decision. In his second MMA match, he suffered another decision loss. His next match came against Robert Turner which he won by a brutal head kick at XFC 7: School of Hard Knox. Saint Preux was a runner-up for Inside MMA's Submission of The Year for 2009 with a calf slicer against Ombey Mobley, but was beaten by

Toby Imada Toby is a popular, usually male, name in many English speaking countries. The name is from the Middle English vernacular form of Tobias. Tobias itself is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew טוביה ''Toviah'', which translates to ''Good i ...

's reverse triangle.

Strikeforce

In June 2010, Saint Preux signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce. His debut match came against Chris Hawk at Strikeforce: Nashville, which he won due to TKO (punches) in the first round. After knocking out UFC veteran

Jason Day Jason Day (born 12 November 1987) is an Australian professional golfer, PGA Tour member and winner of the 2015 PGA Championship. He is a former world number one in the World Golf Ranking, having first achieved the ranking in September 2015. ...

in eight seconds outside the Strikeforce organization, he returned to fight Antwain Britt in his second Strikeforce fight on a ShoMMA Strikeforce Challengers event. He won by unanimous decision. Saint Preux returned to action less than a month after his win over Britt to fight UFC and Strikeforce veteran Benji Radach on the main card of Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II. Saint Preux defeated Radach via unanimous decision. Saint Preux competed in his third Strikeforce fight in less than seven weeks and faced Abongo Humphrey on January 7, 2011, at Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Saffiedine. He won the fight via unanimous decision. This three-fight series over a seven-week period marked the only time a Strikeforce fighter competed on three successive shows. Saint Preux faced Joe Cason on July 22, 2011, at Strikeforce Challengers: Voelker vs. Bowling III. He won the fight via submission to strikes in the first round. In his post-fight interview, Saint Preux asked for either

Renato Sobral Renato da Cunha Sobral (; born 7 September 1975), also known as "Babalu", is a retired Brazilian Luta Livre submission grappler, mixed martial artist, and was the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. Sobral previously fought in the Ult ...

or Gegard Mousasi as his next opponent. Saint Preux next fought Gegard Mousasi on December 17, 2011, at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Saint Preux fought T. J. Cook on August 18, 2012, at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman. He won the fight via third-round knockout with a punch. Saint Preux compiled a record of 5–1 within the promotion.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2013

In January 2013, the Strikeforce organization was closed by its parent company

Zuffa Zuffa, LLC () is an American sports promotion company specializing in mixed martial arts. It was founded in January 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Station Casinos executives Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta to be the parent entity of ...

with a majority of the Strikeforce fighters being brought over to the

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 ...

. For his UFC debut, Saint Preux faced fellow promotional newcomer Gian Villante on April 27, 2013, at UFC 159. The fight ended in unusual fashion as Saint Preux accidentally poked Villante in the right eye with his thumb and referee Kevin Mulhall immediately called an end to the fight after asking Villante if he could see. As a result of the injury, the fight went to the judges' scorecards and Saint Preux won a majority technical decision. For his second bout with the promotion, Saint Preux faced Cody Donovan on August 17, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 26. He won the fight via knockout at 2:07 in the first round.

2014

Saint Preux was briefly linked to a bout against Thiago Silva on January 15, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 35. However, Silva pulled out of the bout less than 24 hours after the announcement. The match against Silva was rescheduled for March 15, 2014 at

UFC 171 ''UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler'' was a mixed martial arts event that was held on March 15, 2014, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The event was released on DVD on June 17, 2014. The DVD was distributed by '' Anchor Bay Entertai ...

. However, the rescheduled bout was cancelled on February 7, 2014, after Silva was arrested by Florida police on attempted murder charges. Saint Preux instead fought Nikita Krylov at the event, winning in the first round with a Von Flue choke. The rare submission win also earned Saint Preux his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. For his fourth fight, Saint Preux faced

Ryan Jimmo Ryan Jimmo (November 27, 1981 – June 26, 2016) was a Canadian mixed martial artist who competed in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He mostly fought in Canada and competed on the eighth season of ''The Ulti ...

on June 14, 2014, at UFC 174. He won the fight in the second round when Jimmo verbally submitted due to a broken arm as a result of blocking one of Saint Preux's kicks. Saint Preux faced Ryan Bader on August 16, 2014, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 47. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Saint Preux was expected to face Rafael Cavalcante on November 8, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 56 ''UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 56'') was a mixed martial arts event held at the Ginásio Municipal Tancredo Neves in Uberlândia, Brazil, on November 8, 2014. Background After previously holding even ...

. However, Cavalcante pulled out of the bout citing injury and was replaced by Francimar Barroso. However, on October 29, it was announced that Saint Preux would step up to replace an injured

Jimi Manuwa Babajimi Abiola "Jimi" Manuwa (born 18 February 1980) is an American-born English retired mixed martial artist of Nigerian descent who competed in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Early life Manuwa was born ...

in the main event against

Maurício Rua Maurício Milani Rua (; born 25 November 1981), also known as Shogun, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former model. He competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a forme ...

. Despite being the underdog and fighting in Rua's home country of Brazil, Saint Preux won the fight via knockout just 34 seconds into the first round. Shogun's loss to Saint Preux was the fastest defeat of his professional career. The win also earned Saint Preux his second ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award.

2015

Saint Preux faced Patrick Cummins on April 18, 2015, at

UFC on Fox 15 ''UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 15'') was a mixed martial arts event held on April 18, 2015, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background The event was the sixth event that the UFC has hosted in New ...

. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. Saint Preux faced

Glover Teixeira Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champi ...

on August 8, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 73 ''UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 73'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 8, 2015, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Background The event was headlined by a light heavyweight bo ...

. He lost the back-and-forth fight by submission in the third round. Both participants were awarded ''Fight of the Night'' honors.

2016

Saint Preux next faced Rafael Cavalcante on February 6, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 82 ''UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 82'') was a mixed martial arts event held on February 6, 2016, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was originally billed as ''UFC 19 ...

. Despite Preux injuring his ankle in the first round, he won the fight by unanimous decision. Saint Preux was tabbed as a short notice injury replacement to face

Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which he has competed in the light heavyweight division. He is a former two-time UFC L ...

for the interim light heavyweight title on April 23, 2016, at

UFC 197 ''UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 23, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event's number was initially planned for an event taking place on March 5, 2016 at HSBC Are ...

filling in for

Daniel Cormier Daniel Ryan Cormier (; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, amateur wrestler, and current commentator for the UFC. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Ch ...

. Saint Preux lost via unanimous decision. Saint Preux's coach revealed that Saint Preux's arm was broken in the second round. Saint Preux faced

on October 8, 2016, at

UFC 204 ''UFC 204: Bisping vs. Henderson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on October 8, 2016 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Background This was the fourth UFC event contested in Man ...

. He lost the fight via knockout in the second round.

2017

Saint Preux was expected to face

Jan Błachowicz Jan Maciej Błachowicz (; born 24 February 1983) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champ ...

on February 4, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 104 ''UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 104'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 4, 2017, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Background A feathe ...

. However, Błachowicz was pulled from the fight in mid-January and replaced by promotional newcomer Volkan Oezdemir. Saint Preux lost the fight via split decision. 14 of 16 MMA media outlets scored the fight for Saint Preux. Saint Preux faced

Marcos Rogério de Lima Marcos Rogério de Lima (born May 25, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2009, he formerly competed for Strikeforce, Shooto, and was a co ...

on April 22, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 108 ''UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 108'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 22, 2017, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Background A feathe ...

. He defeated Lima due to a Von Flue choke submission in the second round. With this win, Saint Preux is the only fighter to successfully win via Von Flue choke twice in the UFC. A rematch with Maurício Rua was expected to take place on September 23, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 117 ''UFC Fight Night: Saint Preux vs. Okami'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 117'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on September 23, 2017 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Background The ...

. The bout was changed after Rua suffered an injury and was promptly replaced with

Yushin Okami is a Japanese mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2002, Okami has competed for the UFC, PRIDE, Pancrase, M-1 Global, World Series of Fighting, DEEP, Professional Fighters League, and ONE Championship. Mixed martial arts caree ...

. Saint Preux won the fight via Von Flue choke in the first round, marking his third win via this submission. This win earned him the ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Saint Preux stepped in to replace Patrick Cummins in a fight against Corey Anderson on November 4, 2017, at

UFC 217 ''UFC 217: Bisping vs. St-Pierre'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 4, 2017, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Background The event was the second that the promo ...

. After winning the first round by landing the more effective strikes and rocking Anderson in the final seconds and losing the second round due to Anderson's wrestling, Saint Preux won the fight via a head kick knockout in the opening minute of the third round. This win earned him a $25,000 ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award.

2018

Saint Preux was expected to face

Ilir Latifi Ilir Latifi (born July 28, 1983) is a Swedish mixed martial artist who previously fought in the Heavyweight division of the UFC. A two-time national wrestling champion and a professional MMA competitor since 2008, Latifi has also competed in Sha ...

on January 27, 2018, at

UFC on Fox 27 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 ...

. However, Latifi was injured during a training session and he was forced to pull out from the bout. As a result, the bout was cancelled. The pair was rebooked and the bout took place 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 ...

. Saint Preux lost the fight via technical submission in the first round. Saint Preux faced

Tyson Pedro Tyson Pedro (born 17 September 1991) is an Australian mixed martial artist who competes in the Light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Pedro is an Australian of Spanish, American Samoa heritage. ...

on June 23, 2018, at

UFC Fight Night 132 ''UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 132'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 23, 2018, at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Back ...

. He won the fight via submission in the first round. This win earned him the ''Performance of the Night'' award. Saint Preux faced Dominick Reyes on October 6, 2018, at

UFC 229 ''UFC 229: Khabib vs. McGregor ''was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) that was held on October 6, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas–Paradise, ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

2019

Saint Preux was expected to face

Misha Cirkunov Mikhail Cirkunovs (born February 27, 1987), better known as Misha Cirkunov is a Latvian-Canadian, Latvian-born Canadian professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, who competed in the Light heavyweight (MMA), Light heavyweight division ...

on March 2, 2019, at

UFC 235 ''UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on March 2, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light Heavyweight C ...

. However, on February 11, it was announced that Saint Preux suffered an injury and was pulled from the fight. He was replaced by Johnny Walker. Saint Preux faced Nikita Krylov in a rematch on April 13, 2019, at

UFC 236 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor (company), End ...

. He lost the fight via a submission due to a rear-naked choke in round two. Saint Preux faced

Michał Oleksiejczuk Michał Oleksiejczuk (born February 22, 1995) is a Polish mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2014, he was the former Thunderstrike Fight League Light heavyweight champion in Poland. He currently competes in the middleweight di ...

on September 28, 2019, at

UFC on ESPN+ 18 ''UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Cannonier'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 160'' or ''UFC on ESPN+ 18'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 28, 2019 at Royal Arena in Cop ...

. He won the fight via submission due to a Von Flue choke in the second round; thereby extended his ending with this submission to a record four wins. The win also earned Saint Preux his sixth ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Saint Preux was briefly liked to face

Ryan Spann Ryan Jamari Spann (born August 24, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2013, he has also fought for the Legacy Fight ...

on February 8, 2020, at

UFC 247 ''UFC 247: Jones vs. Reyes'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 8, 2020 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Background A UFC Light Heavyweight Championship ...

. However, promotion matchmakers elected to go in another direction and the pairing was scrapped from the event. Saint Preux was suspended for three months by

USADA The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti- doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent d ...

for tested positive for

Ostarine Enobosarm, also known as ostarine or MK-2866, is an investigational selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) developed by GTx, Inc. for the treatment of conditions such as muscle wasting and osteoporosis, formerly under development by Merc ...

and S-23, the family of

selective androgen receptor modulators Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators or SARMs are a class of androgen receptor ligands that maintain some of the desirable effects of androgens, such as preventing osteoporosis and muscle loss while reducing risks of developing prostate cance ...

(SARMs), where the prohibited subsistence was found from a tainted supplement. The suspension retroactive from October 25, 2019, and he was eligible to fight again on January 25, 2020.

2020

Saint Preux was expected to face

Shamil Gamzatov Shamil Radzhabovich Gamzatov (russian: Шамиль Раджабович Гамзатов; born August 9, 1990, in Dagestan) is a Russian mixed martial artist competing in the Light Heavyweight division. A professional since 2012, he has compet ...

on April 25, 2020. However, Gamzatov was forced to pull from the event due to

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

travel restriction, and Saint Preux was pulled from the event and was scheduled to meet

Ion Cuțelaba Ion Nicolae Cuțelaba (born 14 December 1993) is a Moldovan professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Born and raised in Chișinău, Cuțelaba began traini ...

at the event. However, on April 9,

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed to a future date. On April 24, 2020, it was revealed that the fight against Cuțelaba was cancelled due to Cuțelaba not being allowed to leave his home country of

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...

due to a pandemic travel ban. Saint Preux moved up to the

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

division and faced

Ben Rothwell Ben Rothwell (born October 17, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist who competes as a Heavyweight. He most notably had a 17 bout stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and competed for the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the IFL where he h ...

at the UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira on May 13, 2020. He lost the fight via split decision. Saint Preux was scheduled to face

on April 25, 2020. However, Gamzatov was forced to pull from the event due to

travel restriction The match was rescheduled on August 22, 2020, at

UFC on ESPN 15 ''UFC on ESPN: Munhoz vs. Edgar'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 15'' and ''UFC Vegas 7'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 22, 2020, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, ...

. However, for unknown reason, Gamzatov was pulled from the bout and he was replaced by

Alonzo Menifield Alonzo Menifield (born October 18, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2015, he has formerly fought in Bellator and the ...

. Just hours before the event was scheduled to begin, it was announced that the bout was canceled due to Saint Preux testing positive for COVID-19. The bout eventually took place on September 5, 2020, at

UFC Fight Night 176 ''UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Sakai'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 176'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 34'' and ''UFC Vegas 9'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 5, 2020 at the UFC ...

. Saint Preux won the fight via knockout in the second round. This win earned him a

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. Saint Preux faced

Jamahal Hill Jamahal Hill (born May 19, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of December 6, 2022, he is #7 in the UFC light heavyweight ...

on December 5, 2020, at

UFC on ESPN 19 ''UFC on ESPN: Hermansson vs. Vettori'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 19'' and ''UFC Vegas 16'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 5, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enter ...

. At the weigh-ins, he weighed in at 207.5 pounds, one and a half pounds over the light heavyweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at a catchweight and Saint Preux was fined 20% of his individual purse, which went to his opponent Hill. He lost the fight via second-round TKO.

2021

Saint Preux was scheduled to face

Maxim Grishin Maxim Anthony Grishin (born May 2, 1984) is a Russian mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Grishin was the former M-1 Global Eastern Europe Heavyweight Champion. ...

on June 26, 2021, at

UFC Fight Night 190 ''UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 190'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 48'' and ''UFC Vegas 30'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 26, 2021 at the UFC Apex ...

. However, Grishin withdrew from the bout due to visa issues and was replaced by

Tanner Boser Tanner Vilbon Nicholas Boser (born August 2, 1991) is a Canadian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who is currently signed to the UFC Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight division. He had previously competed for Unified MMA, where he won the ...

in a heavyweight bout. In the second round, Saint Preux secured a takedown, but Boser appeared to use the fence in order to assist himself back to his feet, with the referee giving him a warning. However, Saint Preux lost the fight by knockout moments later. Saint Preux later announced that he would be appealing the loss in hopes of overturning it to a no contest. Saint Preux was scheduled to face

Philipe Lins Luiz Philipe Lins Pimentel do Amaral (born August 17, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who competes in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He won the 2018 Professional Fighters League heavyweight tourna ...

on November 13, 2021, at

UFC Fight Night 197 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 ...

. However Saint Preux withdrew from the fight for undisclosed reasons and the bout was cancelled.

2022

Saint Preux had a rematch against

on May 7, at

UFC 274 ''UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 7, 2022, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Background The event was originally linke ...

. He won the fight via split decision. Saint Preux was scheduled to face

Alexander Gustafsson Alexander Gustafsson (born 15 January 1987) is a Swedish professional mixed martial artist. Gustafsson currently competes in the light heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gustafsson spent a major part of his MMA ...

on December 10, 2022, at

UFC 282 ''UFC 282: Błachowicz vs. Ankalaev'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It took place on December 10, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...

. However, Gustafsson withdrew due to undisclosed reason and was briefly replaced by

. In turn, Lins withdrew from the bout due to an undisclosed reason and was replaced by UFC newcomer Antonio Trocoli. However, Trocoli withdrew due to visa issues. As a result, Saint Preux was pulled from the card as well due to the promotion being unable to find another replacement.

2023

The match between Preux and

was rescheduled for February 18, 2023 at

UFC Fight Night 219 ''UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Blanchfield'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 219'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 77'', and ''UFC Vegas 69'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 18, 2023, at ...

Championships and achievements

Mixed martial arts

* Ultimate Fighting Championship **

(Seven times) ** Fight of the Night (One time) ** Most Von Flue choke submission victories in UFC history (4) ** Tied for third most submission victories in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (5) (w.

and

) ** Second most stoppage wins in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (11) ** Tied (with

) for most bouts in UFC Light Heavyweight history (23) * MMAJunkie.com ** 2015 April Knockout of the Month ** 2019 September Submission of the Month * King of the Cage ** KOTC Light Heavyweight Tournament Champion

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 26–16 ,

, Decision (split) ,

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

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–16 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:31 ,

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 Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 25–15 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC on ESPN: Hermansson vs. Vettori , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:37 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 25–14 ,

, KO (punch) , UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Sakai , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:07 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 24–14 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–13 ,

, Submission (Von Flue choke) , UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Cannonier , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:46 ,

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, Denmark , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–13 , Nikita Krylov , Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:31 ,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–12 , Dominick Reyes , Decision (unanimous) ,

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

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–11 ,

, Submission (straight armbar) , UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:54 ,

Kallang Kallang is a planning area and residential town located in the Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the longest river in Singapore. Kallang Planning Area is bounded by Toa Payoh in the no ...

, Singapore , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–11 ,

, Technical Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC on Fox: Emmett vs. Stephens , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:48 ,

Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–10 , Corey Anderson , KO (head kick) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:25 ,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–10 ,

, Technical Submission (Von Flue choke) , UFC Fight Night: Saint Preux vs. Okami , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:50 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 20–10 ,

, Submission (Von Flue choke) , UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:11 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–10 ,

Volkan Oezdemir Volkan Oezdemir (born 19 September 1989) is a Swiss professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxing practitioner. He currently competes in the Light heavyweight (MMA), Light heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC ...

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Bermudez vs. The Korean Zombie , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–9 ,

, KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:38 ,

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–8 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

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

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–7 , Rafael Cavalcante , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 18–7 ,

, Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:10 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–6 , Patrick Cummins , KO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:54 ,

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Maurício Rua Maurício Milani Rua (; born 25 November 1981), also known as Shogun, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former model. He competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a forme ...

, KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:34 ,

Uberlândia Uberlândia () is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. It is the second largest municipality in the state of Minas Gerais after the state capital Belo Horizonte. Its population in 2020 was 699,097, making it the fou ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–6 , Ryan Bader , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Saint Preux , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Penobscot County. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's 3rd-largest settlement, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121). Modern Bangor ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–5 ,

, Submission (kimura) , UFC 174 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:10 ,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5 , Nikita Krylov , Technical Submission (Von Flue choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:29 ,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5 , Cody Donovan , KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:07 , Boston, Massachusetts, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–5 , Gian Villante , Technical Decision (majority) , UFC 159 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:33 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–5 , Gegard Mousasi , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–4 , Joe Cason , TKO (submission to punches) , Strikeforce Challengers: Voelker vs. Bowling III , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:12 ,

Las Vegas 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 Vegas ...

, Nevada, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–4 , Abongo Humphrey , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Saffiedine , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–4 , Benji Radach , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–4 , Antwain Britt , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce Challengers: Wilcox vs. Ribeiro , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–4 ,

, KO (punches) , EFC 5: Summer Rumble , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:08 ,

Lloydminster, Saskatchewan Lloydminster is a city in Canada which has the unusual geographic distinction of straddling the provincial border between Alberta and Saskatchewan. The city is incorporated by both provinces as a single city with a single municipal administrati ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 6–4 , Claudio Cunha Godoy , TKO (arm injury) , Washington Combat: Battle of the Legends , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–4 , Chris Hawk , TKO (punches) , Strikeforce: Nashville , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:47 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–4 , Brett Chism , TKO (punches) , GTO Cage Fights , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:15 ,

Griffin, Georgia Griffin is a city in and the county seat of Spalding County, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 23,478. Griffin was founded in 1840 and named for landowner Col. Lewis Lawr ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–4 ,

Virgil Zwicker Virgil Zwicker, (born June 26, 1982), is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Zwicker has formerly competed for Bellator MMA, Strikeforce and KSW. Ba ...

, TKO (punches) , Top Combat Championship 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:46 , San Juan, Puerto Rico , , - , Loss , align=center, 3–3 , Nik Fekete , Decision (unanimous) , VFC: A Night of Vengeance , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , Oranjestad, Aruba , , - , Win , align=center, 3–2 , Jonathan Smith , Submission (rear-naked choke) , VFC: A Night of Vengeance , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 , Oranjestad, Aruba , , - , Win , align=center, 2–2 , Ombey Mobley , Submission (calf slicer) , XFC 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:36 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–2 , Robert Turner , KO (head kick) , XFC 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:36 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–2 , Ray Lizama , Decision (unanimous) , Shark Fights 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall County ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Rodney Wallace , Decision (unanimous) , VFC 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Concord, North Carolina Concord is the county seat and largest city in Cabarrus County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 105,186, with an estimated population in 2021 of 107,697. In terms of population, the cit ...

, United States , , -

Mixed martial arts amateur record

, - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Todd Smart , KO (punches) , KOTC: Reckless , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:28 ,

Greenville, Mississippi Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 34,400 at the 2010 census. It is located in the area of historic cotton plantations and culture known as the Mississippi Delta. Hi ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Mike Cormier , Submission (rear-naked choke) , KOTC: Reckless , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:59 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Joe Miller , KO , Warrior FC 77 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:03 ,

Monticello, Kentucky Monticello is city in Wayne County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 6,188 at the time of the 2010 U.S. census. Monticello claims to be "The Houseboat Capital of the World" as there are numerous ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Chris Stanton , TKO (punches) , Mixed Martial Arts in the Valley 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:07 , Cherokee, North Carolina, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Daniel Crockett , Decision (unanimous) , Crossing the Line V , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 , Bristol, Virginia, United States , , -

References

External links

UFC profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Preux, Ovince Living people 1983 births People from Immokalee, Florida Sportspeople from Knoxville, Tennessee American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Tennessee Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing kickboxing Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American sportspeople of Haitian descent University of Tennessee alumni Tennessee Volunteers football players Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Background

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Strikeforce

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Championships and achievements

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Mixed martial arts amateur record

See also

References

External links