Introduction
Lance Benoist (born August 26, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist. He currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in their welterweight division.
Mixed Martial Arts career
Early career
Benoist went undefeated in his amateur career and compiled a record of 14-0-1, finishing almost all of his opponents in the first round. He had his first professional fight on January 30, 2010 and won the bout via triangle choke submission.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In June 2011, Benoist signed a multi-fight contract with the UFC. He faced Matthew Riddle in his Octagon debut. He won the fight via unanimous decision in a bout that earned Fight of the Night honors.
Benoist next faced Seth Baczynski on June 8, 2012 at UFC on FX 3. He lost for the first time in his career via split decision.
Benoist faced Sean Pierson on September 22, 2012 at UFC 152, replacing Dan Miller. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Benoist was expected to face Paulo Thiago on May 18, 2013 at UFC on FX 8. However, Benoist was forced out of the bout with a broken leg and was replaced by promotional newcomer Michel Prazeres.
Benoist faced Bobby Voelker on June 7, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 42. He won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision.
Championships and accomplishments
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Matthew Riddle
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 9 matches | 7 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| By submission | 4 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 7–2 | Bobby Voelker | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov | 000000002014-06-07-0000June 7, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | |
| Loss | 6–2 | Sean Pierson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 152 | 000000002012-09-22-0000September 22, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
| Loss | 6–1 | Seth Baczynski | Decision (split) | UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall | 000000002012-06-08-0000June 8, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Sunrise, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 6–0 | Matthew Riddle | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger | 000000002011-09-17-0000September 17, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | Fight of the Night |
| Win | 5–0 | Ryne Vincent | Submission (triangle choke) | CCCW: Fight Night 3 | 000000002011-04-30-0000April 30, 2011 | 1 | 2:56 | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Dustin Baker | Submission (rear-naked choke) | PCL: Cage Madness | 000000002011-03-26-0000March 26, 2011 | 1 | 4:36 | Glen Carbon, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Miguel Rios | Submission (guillotine choke) | MCC 30: Thanksgiving Throwdown | 000000002010-11-11-0000November 11, 2010 | 1 | 0:57 | Des Moines, Iowa, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Cleburn Walker | KO (head kick) | Fight Me MMA 1: The Battle Begins | 000000002010-08-14-0000August 14, 2010 | 1 | 4:34 | St. Charles, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Jamell Austin | Submission (triangle choke) | Devastation Fight Club | 000000002010-01-30-0000January 30, 2010 | 1 | 0:53 | Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States |
Personal life
Lance's identical twin brother, Logan Benoist, was killed in a tragic vehicle accident on Monday, April 23, 2012. Logan was a U.S. Marine and an Iraq War combat veteran.
Lance attended Festus high school. Benoist also has a sister.