Fares Ziam gets redemption at home, pulls off upset in front of Paris crowd

Three months after a first-round submission loss to top prospect Terrance McKinney, Fares Ziam was dropped from the UFC. He didn’t live up to the hype, going a mediocre 2-2 in his first stint with the promotion.

In mid-August, he re-signed for a short-notice fight at the first UFC event in his home country of France. The odds were stacked against him as the underdog in the betting against an undefeated fighter in Michal Figlak.

Ziam redeemed himself at UFC Paris last Saturday with a convincing unanimous decision win in all rounds against Figlak, who had never before lost one in his professional career. The strong kickboxer showed off his improved wrestling with three takedowns and racked up more than six minutes of control time. He was about to go to the end with his suffocating floor and pound. On the feet, he controlled the distance using his powerful jab.

Ziam, who usually does his training camps at Kill Cliff FC, did this one in France. At the post-fight press conference, he exclaimed that “it’s like a dream” to put on a show for his country.

Dubbed the “smile killer”, Ziam became the smile maker as he brought his local fans to their feet. Under pressure on the biggest stage, he proved that he belongs in the UFC. The future is bright for the evolved 25-year-old fighter, which will be tough for lightweights going forward.

(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Anik Subramanian is an aspiring MMA journalist living in the United States. She discovered her passion for MMA when the sport was the first to return to live action during the pandemic. She is also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has been a lifelong sports fan.

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