Athletes
Under The Radar | Fares Ziam
French Lightweight Farès Ziam Looks For His Fifth-Straight Win When He Takes On Mike Davis At UFC Saudi Arabia
If UFC lightweight Farès Ziam wasn’t on your radar at the start of last year, he’s certainly hard to ignore now after two dominant wins in 2024 – highlighted by a spectacular knockout in Paris.
The 155-pound division has historically been one of the most stacked weight divisions in the UFC, and Ziam’s emergence as a rising prospect has been impossible to overlook. He’s currently riding a four-fight win streak dating back to September of 2022, which includes victories over Michal Figlak, Jai Herbert and Claudio Puelles. None were as impressive, however, as his most recent outing against Matt Frevola in September.
Order UFC 312: Du Plessis vs Strickland 2
The Lyon, France native made the short trek to Paris for the second time in his UFC career, and the home crowd at Accor Arena provided an extra layer of motivation that helped him produce his best performance to date.
Fares Ziam Fight Week Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Fares Ziam Fight Week Interview | UFC Saudi Arabia
/
It was virtually all Ziam from the moment the fight started. Through two-and-a-half rounds, Ziam out struck Frevola 69-25, and was successful on all four of his takedown attempts. It looked as though he was cruising his way to a unanimous decision win until he threw up a knee as he was breaking away from a clinch, which landed flush onto Frevola’s chin, putting his lights out.
Ziam credits his performance to the work he put in following his bout with Claudio Puelles. In typical Ziam fashion, he was dominant on the feet, landing 31 significant strikes while only absorbing four through 15 minutes. Puelles, however, was able to secure seven takedowns and over seven minutes of control time.
Full Saudi Arabia Fight Card Preview
While Ziam won on the scorecards in that fight, he and his team recognized areas that needed improvement, particularly in his strength and conditioning and boxing. Ziam’s commitment to addressing those areas paid off, culminating in one of the most memorable knockouts of 2024.
Ziam’s victory over Frevola was his sixth win and first finish in the UFC, and it’s made him hungry to get another stoppage when he returns to the Octagon at UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Imavov on February 1.
Rising Stars On UFC Saudi Arabia
Standing across from him this Saturday is Mike Davis, who finds himself in a similar position just outside the rankings, having also won each of his last four bouts. Statistically, this fight is expected to produce fireworks for the crowd inside anb Arena.
Both fighters land over 50 percent of the strikes they throw. While Davis holds the edge in strikes landed per minute, he absorbs significantly more strikes than Ziam, who absorbs just 1.66 strikes per minute and has never been knocked down in his UFC career. Davis, meanwhile, absorbs 5.76 strikes per minute.
Neither athlete is predominantly a grappler, but Ziam told UFC.com that he expects Davis to try to drag him to the ground to avoid a striking battle. He believes Davis will tire himself out with unsuccessful takedown attempts and become more vulnerable as the fight goes on. While Ziam is willing to win by any means necessary, he’s confident that he can put Davis away and send a strong message that he belongs among the list of contenders at 155 pounds.
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!
Tags