Athletes
Farès Ziam | Repeat The Feat
French Lightweight Is On A High After His First UFC Finish, And "Smile Killer" Is Looking To Deliver More Of The Same In Riyadh
Fares Ziam is a man in form, but leading into his last bout in Paris, there was a little something missing – a finish.
Prior to UFC Paris last September, Ziam had notched five UFC victories, with wins over Jamie Mullarkey, Luigi Vendramini, Michal Figlak, Jai Herbert and Claudio Puelles, each by decision.
But, against Matt Frevola in Paris, Ziam found another gear and, powered by a passionate Parisian crowd, "Smile Killer" knocked out "The SteamRolla" with just over two minutes left in the fight.
Not only did it give him his first UFC finish, it also extended Ziam's win streak to four as the Frenchman's form started to gather momentum heading into 2025.
Now Ziam returns to action in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he'll take on Mike Davis in a lightweight bout.
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And, as he visited with the UFC.com team during fight week, Ziam looked chilled and confident as he attempts to make it five wins in a row in the Octagon.
"I feel great because I wanted to stay active after my last fight," he said.
"I said I wanted to fight in the beginning of the year, and that happens this Saturday."
It's funny how things tend to work out to your advantage when you start winning, and Ziam is happy to be the beneficiary after doing the hard yards in the gym between fights.
"All the years of hard work paid off, and I'm very happy I did this performance (against Frevola)."
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The improvement was there for all to see in Paris as Ziam showcased sharper striking, and a more prominent killer instinct, to finish Frevola. The victory, he said, was down to the adjustments made after his previous bout, a split-decision win over Claudio Puelles in Mexico City last February.
"It was a close, close fight, but we saw with my team some details to work on," he said.
"We worked on my strength and conditioning, and on my boxing, too. And, after that, I did very well (with my) performance in Paris."
Boosted by the confidence that a knockout win provides, Ziam returns to action on Saturday in Saudi Arabia as he looks to start stacking not just wins, but finishes, in the talent-rich UFC lightweight division.
"I'm confident, but, for me, a fight is still a fight," he said of his bout with Davis.
"I'm very focused on Mike Davis. He's a strong opponent, too. So we know in this sport, we have a lot of risk. In a fight, everything can happen. And we are very focused on him."
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While Ziam is in excellent form having won four straight, so too has Davis, whose victories over Thomas Gifford, Mason Jones, Viacheslav Borshchev and Natan Levy make him an extremely dangerous opponent.
Ziam recognizes the threat, but is confident that, skills-wise, he has all his bases covered.
UFC Unfiltered | Fares Ziam & Terrance McKinney Discuss Showdowns On Next Week's UFC Saudi Arabia
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UFC Unfiltered | Fares Ziam & Terrance McKinney Discuss Showdowns On Next Week's UFC Saudi Arabia
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"For me, this guy is a complete fighter," he said.
"He strikes good, he has good wrestling, he has good jiu-jitsu. But, for me, I'm better everywhere.
"I think it’s going to be a very good fight. But I'm going to win by finish again."
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Ziam has plotted his course through 2025, with planned stops in Las Vegas and Paris, but his first task is to defeat "Beast Boy" on Saturday and extend his win streak to five. And, ideally, he'll do it with a second successive finish.
"Mike Davis is gonna come to wrestle, because he thinks he's better than me. But this is not the way it's gonna go, because he's going to be tired after my takedown defense.
"I think I'm going to finish him. But, if I win by decision, it's OK, too. It'll just be a very good fight."
UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Imavov took place live from anb Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 1, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!