Athletes
Under the Radar | Fares Ziam
France’s Fares Ziam Takes His Five-Fight Winning Streak Into UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs Borralho, Hoping To Start Distinguishing Himself From The Lightweight Pack
Prospects in the lightweight division are a dime a dozen, and as UFC returns to Paris for the fourth year in a row, one of France’s own, Fares Ziam, is hoping to break away from the crowded pack with his sixth straight win. “Smile Killer” has quietly picked up seven wins in his last eight trips to the Octagon and, at 28 years old, he is starting to enter his prime.
At UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs Borralho, Ziam faces Kauê Fernandes, a 30-year-old Brazilian seeking his third win in a row. It’s a crucial fight for Ziam, as it is a chance to show he is ready to break into that circle of fighters on the precipice of the top 15, a spot often tricky for rising fighters to navigate in ultracompetitive divisions.
The burn has been a relatively slow one for Ziam. He made his debut at UFC 242 in September 2019, but he stumbled out of the gates as he tallied a 2-2 record in his first four UFC bouts. The young Ziam wasn’t without flashes of potential, however. His decision win over Jamie Mullarkey proved he had the goods to compete, but that potential remained untapped for the time being.
He got his feet underneath him at UFC’s first event in Paris in September 2022. There, he scored a decision win over Michal Figlak, kicking off the five-fight streak he rides into his date with Fernandes on September 6.
READ: Monthly Report From August
Decision wins over veterans Jai Herbert and Claudio Puelles earned him a crack at Matt Frevola in Paris. “The Steamrolla” competed well, but Ziam appeared to have cracked a new level. In the third round, with Frevola pinned against the Octagon, Ziam planted a knee flush on the New Yorker, sending him crashing to the canvas. The finish was Ziam’s first in the Octagon and earned him his first performance bonus as well as a spot on various end-of-year knockout lists.
Ziam logged a decision win over the talented Mike Davis in February 2025, setting himself up for his third bout in the City of Lights in three years.
See What You Missed From Dana White's Contender Series
The familiar confines have been friendly for Ziam. First came his bounce-back victory over Figlak in 2022. Then came his stunning finish over Frevola in 2025.
What could 2025 hold? Perhaps something spectacular or at least something definitive. It’s the kind of opportunity a young fighter needs to make the most of if they have aspirations to start climbing into the rankings in a real way. Ziam has that opportunity ahead of him, and if he gives the Parisian fans something to cheer about, he’ll have done his job two-fold.
UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs Borralho took place live from Accor Arena in Paris, France on September 6, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
Tags