Ryan Michale Benoit (born August 25, 1989) 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 ...

and bare knuckle boxer who competes in the

Flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

division. A professional competitor since 2009, he is currently signed to the BKFC and has competed for 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 ...

(UFC),

Shark Fights Shark Fights was a mixed martial arts promotion based in Amarillo, Texas. It made its debut on October 24, 2008. On September 11, 2010 Shark Fights had its biggest card in Shark Fights history by having UFC veterans Jorge Masvidal, Keith Jardin ...

, and the MFC.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Benoit began training in 2007 and made his professional MMA debut in May 2009. He fought extensively in his native United States and amassed a record of 7-2 before joining the

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Benoit made his promotional debut against fellow newcomer

Josh Sampo Joshua Ashley Sampo (born July 24, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in Ultimate Fighting Championship's flyweight division. Mixed martial arts career Early career Sampo started his professional career in 2009 ...

on November 30, 2013 at

The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate'' (also known as ''The Ultimate Fighter 18'') is the eighteenth U.S.-based installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. ...

. He lost the back-and-forth fight via rear-naked choke submission late in the second round. Despite the loss, Benoit won a ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award for the bout. Benoit was expected to face Ray Borg on June 28, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 44 ''UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 44'') was a mixed martial arts event held at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Background The event was the first that the organization has hosted in San Antonio. Zu ...

. However, due to an injury, Benoit was replaced by promotional newcomer

Shane Howell Shane Howell (born November 28, 1983), is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Howell has also competed for the promot ...

. Benoit faced

Sergio Pettis Sergio Jerome Pettis (born August 18, 1993) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently signed with Bellator MMA, where he is the current Bellator Bantamweight Champion. Prior to signing with Bellator, Pettis competed in the Ultimate Fig ...

on March 14, 2015 at

UFC 185 ''UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos'' was a mixed martial arts event held on March 14, 2015, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Background The event was the third that the UFC has hosted in Dallas, Texas. The event was headlined by a ...

. After a first round in which Pettis seemed to have the upper hand, Benoit dropped Pettis with a left hook and finished him off with a flurry of ground and pound in the second round. Benoit received criticism from fans for kicking Pettis after the referee had separated the two fighters. Benoit immediately apologized for his behavior, claiming he had let his emotions get the better of him. Dana White later stated in the UFC 185 post fight press conference that the UFC wouldn't take any disciplinary actions towards Benoit, due to his immediate regret shown regarding the incident. Benoit faced

Ben Nguyen Ben Nguyen or Nguyễn Ben, (born August 3, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who competed as a flyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he compiled a record of 4–3 with the organization. He is also a former Nitro B ...

on November 15, 2015 at

UFC 193 ''UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm'' was a mixed martial arts event held on 14 November 2015, at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was the most attended UFC event in the history of the company at the time, with 56,214 people filling th ...

. He lost the fight via submission in the first round. Benoit next faced Fredy Serrano on July 30, 2016 at

UFC 201 ''UFC 201: Lawler vs. Woodley'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 30, 2016, at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Background This was the third event that the organization has hosted in Atl ...

. He won the fight via split decision. Benoit faced

Brandon Moreno Brandon Carrillo Moreno (born December 7, 1993) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Flyweight Champion, and the cu ...

on December 3, 2016 at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale. He lost the fight via split decision. Benoit faced

Ashkan Mokhtarian Ashkan Mokhtarian ( fa, اشکان مختاریان, born 18 September 1985 Tehran, Iran), is an Iranian-born Australian mixed martial artist formerly competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Mokhtarian's parents fled Ira ...

on November 19, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura. At the weight-ins, Benoit weight in at 129 pounds, 3 pounds over the flyweight upper limit of 126 pounds. The bout proceeded at a catchweight and Benoit forfeited 20% of his purse to Mokhtarian. Benoit won the fight via knockout due to a head kick in the third round. On January 5, 2018 it was announced that Benoit had signed a new, four-fight contract with UFC. Benoit was expected to face Roberto Sanchez on September 8, 2018 at

UFC 228 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, Benoit pulled out of the fight in late August for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by

Jarred Brooks Jarred Brooks (born May 2, 1993) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in ONE Championship, where he is the current ONE Strawweight World Champion. A professional competitor since 2014, he has also competed for the ...

. Benoit faced

Alateng Heili Alateng Heili (; born December 14, 1991) is a Chinese mixed martial artist of Mongol ethnicity who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Following his father's footsteps, Alateng started wrestling ...

in a bantamweight bout on December 21, 2019 at

UFC Fight Night 165 ''UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 165'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 23'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 21, 2019 at Sajik Arena in ...

. He lost the fight via split decision. Benoit was expected to face

Tyson Nam Tyson Ka'eo Nam (born October 6, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division for UFC. A professional MMA competitor since 2006, Nam has formerly competed for World Series of Fighting, Elite ...

on June 13, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Eye vs. Calvillo. However, Benoit withdrew from the event for an unknown reason and was replaced by

Zarrukh Adashev Zarrukh Adashev (born July 29, 1992) is an Uzbek professional kickboxer and professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division and formerly in the Bantamweight division. He has previously competed in the Ultimate Fighting C ...

. Benoit faced

Tim Elliott Timothy Samuel Elliott (born December 24, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Flyweight (MMA), Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the former Titan FC Titan Fighting Champions ...

on July 16, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Ige. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. On September 3, 2020, Benoit along with

Roman Dolidze Roman Dolidze (born July 15, 1988) is a Georgian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2016, Dolidze was the former World Warriors Figh ...

, were granted temporary licenses following special hearings by the

Nevada State Athletic Commission The Nevada State Athletic Commission (also known as the Nevada Athletic Commission or NSAC) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, ...

after they had recurring issues with the long-term metabolite of

Turinabol Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone (CDMT; brand name Oral Turinabol), also known as 4-chloro-17β-hydroxy17α-methylandrosta-1,4-dien-3-one, is an anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS). It is the 4-chloro-substituted derivative of metandienone (dehyd ...

pulsing in their system in trace amounts, long after ingestion. Both Benoit and Dolidze have already been suspended by USADA, the UFC's anti-doping partner. Neither were facing a violation in Nevada, but the UFC wanted to get ahead of a potential issue. This was after USADA added a threshold for the presence of the M3 metabolite of DHCMT. If a test result is below 100 picograms per milliliter of the substance, it is no longer considered a violation, but an atypical finding -- provided there is no evidence of new ingestion or performance-enhancing effects. Benoit and Dolidze were granted temporary licenses to compete beginning Dec. 1 following a six-month period of bimonthly testing by USADA. For Benoit, the process already cost him more than one year of his career after he originally tested positive for low levels of DHCMT (oral turinabol) starting on Nov. 11, 2018. At the time, Benoit tested positive for 30 picograms per mL at the time. Benoit was scheduled to face

on May 8, 2021 at UFC on ESPN 24. At the weigh-ins, Benoit weighed in at 129 pounds, three pounds over the flyweight non-title fight limit. His bout with Adashev was cancelled by the

due to health concerns. The pair was rebooked at

UFC on ESPN 28 ''UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 28'' and ''UFC Vegas 33'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 31, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, N ...

on July 31, 2021. Benoit lost the fight via unanimous decision. On August 21, 2021, it was announced Benoit was released by the UFC. On October 20, 2021, The

Nevada Athletic Commission The Nevada State Athletic Commission (also known as the Nevada Athletic Commission or NSAC) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, ...

suspended Benoit nine months retroactive to a positive urine sample collected on July 31. Benoit was flagged for

modafinil Modafinil, sold under the brand name Provigil among others, is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant medication used to treat sleepiness due to narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea. While it has seen off-label ...

, more commonly known as provigil. In addition to his suspension, Benoit faces a total of $3,445.36 in fines and legal fees. He will be eligible to return on April 1, 2022.

Championships and achievements

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

Mixed martial arts record

, Loss , align=center, 10–8 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, 10–7 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–6 ,

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

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...

, South Korea , , - , Win , align=center, 10–5 ,

, KO (head kick) , UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:38 ,

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Australia , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–5 ,

, Decision (split) , The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–4 , Fredy Serrano , Decision (split) ,

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

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, 8–4 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:35 ,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 8–3 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:34 ,

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 , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–3 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate Finale , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:31 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 , Cody Fuller , TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 24 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:53 ,

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

Anthony Birchak Anthony Birchak (born May 16, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2009. he formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Legacy Fighting Alliance, ...

, Decision (unanimous) , MFC 37 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchor ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Joseph Sandoval , TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 16 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:02 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Randy Villarreal , TKO (punches) , Legacy FC 13 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:35 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Cody Williams , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Legacy FC 11 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:52 ,

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 , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Matt Espinoza , TKO (punches) , Shark Fights 14: Horwich vs. Villefort , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:14 ,

Lubbock, Texas Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 , Tim Snyder , Decision (majority) , SWC 11: Fury , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Frisco, Texas Frisco is a city in Collin and Denton counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and about from both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Its population was 200,509 at the 2 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Davis Sylvester , TKO (punches) , KOK 7: Judgement Day , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:41 ,

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , LeJerrian Lindley , TKO (punches) , Xtreme Knockout 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:09 ,

Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It forms part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal city of the metropolis and region. ...

, United States , , -

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benoit, Ryan Living people 1989 births People from Dallas American male mixed martial artists Flyweight mixed martial artists Bantamweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Championships and achievements

Mixed martial arts record

See also

References

External links