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Farès Ziam (born March 21, 1997) is a French professional
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
and
kickboxer Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and ...
who competes in the
Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...
division of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
(UFC).


Background

Born into a Franco-Algerian family in 1997, he was a fan of
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It was a family affair, with everyone involved in combat sports. His father, Taïeb, who was a former pro
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...
that hung up his gloves in the 2000s, has of course had something to do with it. His stepfather did Brazilian jiu-jitsu while his two brothers did
Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...
. At 12, Ziam began practising combat sports with full contact. At 13, he began doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu,
kickboxing Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (disambiguation), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, norma ...
and MMA once or twice a week. Starting at 14, he did
judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...
, BJJ and kickboxing for three years, he then joined the Ezbiri team in
Villeurbanne Villeurbanne (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France ...
to do MMA professionally.


Kickboxing career

On June 13, 2015, Ziam defeated Tom Pedereno by technical knockout at Sanda Pro Fight Tour #1. On October 13, 2015, Ziam faced Yazid Boussaha for the vacant ISKA K-1 European 72.5kg title. He won the fight by unanimous decision. On April 8, 2016, Ziam faced Igor Kozak at Fight Night ONE. He won the fight by second round doctor stoppage. On October 28, 2017, Ziam made his Glory promotional debut at Glory 47 against Mohamed Souane. The fight was declared a draw after three rounds.


Mixed martial arts career


Early career

Starting his professional MMA career in 2014, Ziam compiled a 10–2 record fighting mostly in the regional European scene, winning the HIT and LFC lightweight championships in the process.


Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ziam, as a replacement for
Magomed Mustafaev Magomed Mustafaev (born August 2, 1988) is a Russian mixed martial artist, who competed in the Lightweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor since 2011, he has also competed for M-1 Global. Background Magomed Mustafaev was born ...
, made his promotional debut against Don Madge on September 7, 2019, at
UFC 242 ''UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier '' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on September 7, 2019 at The Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background The event mar ...
in
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
,
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
. Ziam lost the fight by unanimous decision. Ziam faced
Jamie Mullarkey Jamie Mullarkey (born 17 August 1994) is an Australian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Mullarkey grew up in Central Coast area, attending Erina High School. He ...
at UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie on October 18, 2020. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Ziam faced Luigi Vendramini on June 12, 2021, at UFC 263. He won the fight via majority decision. As the last fight of his prevailing contract, Ziam was scheduled to face
Terrance McKinney Terrance Kitarius McKinney (born September 15, 1994) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2017, McKinney also compet ...
on November 20, 2021, at
UFC Fight Night 198 ''UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs. Tate'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN+ 56'', ''UFC Vegas 43'' and ''UFC Fight Night 198'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 20, 2021 at the UFC A ...
. However, one of McKinney's cornermen got
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
the day of the bout and it was scrapped. The pairing was rescheduled and eventually took place at UFC Fight Night 202 on February 26, 2022. Ziam lost the bout via first round rear-naked choke. UFC opted not to renew his contract for a while, but eventually Ziam faced Michal Figlak on September 3, 2022, at
UFC Fight Night 209 ''UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 209'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 67'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 3, 2022, at Accor Arena in Paris, Fra ...
as the first bout of his new contract. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Ziam faced
Jai Herbert Jai Kyle Herbert (born 13 May 1988) is an English mixed martial artist who currently fights as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Cage Warriors lightweight champion and also competed in BAMMA. Background Her ...
on July 22, 2023, at UFC on ESPN+ 82. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Ziam faced Claudio Puelles on February 24, 2024, at
UFC Fight Night 237 ''UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 237'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 95'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on February 24, 2024, at Arena CDMX, in Mexico ...
. Despite being taken down seven times, Ziam won the bout by split decision after landing more strikes. As the first bout of his new four-fight contract, Ziam faced
Matt Frevola Matthew Kenneth Frevola (born June 11, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2014, he has also competed for the Wor ...
on September 28, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 243. He won the fight by knockout in the third round after delivering a knee to the face of his opponent. This fight earned him his first '' Performance of the Night'' award. Ziam faced Mike Davis on February 1, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 250. He won the fight by unanimous decision.


Personal life

Ziam and his wife have a son (born 2024).


Championships and accomplishments


Mixed martial arts

*
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
** Performance of the Night (One time) * HIT Fighting Championship ** HIT Lightweight Championship (one time) * Lyon Fighting Championship ** LFC Lightweight Championship (one time) *
MMAjunkie.com MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and has been owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time'' magazine, ''ESPN The Magazine'', ''Th ...
**2024 September Knockout of the Month vs.
Matt Frevola Matthew Kenneth Frevola (born June 11, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2014, he has also competed for the Wor ...


Kickboxing

*
International Sport Kickboxing Association The ISKA (originally International Sport Karate Association, later also called the International Sport Kickboxing Association) is international bodies regulating sport karate and kickboxing matches. It is based in the United States. It was est ...
** 2015 ISKA K-1 European Light-middleweight (-72.5kg) Champion


Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 17–4 , Mike Davis , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Imavov , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...
, Saudi Arabia , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4 ,
Matt Frevola Matthew Kenneth Frevola (born June 11, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2014, he has also competed for the Wor ...
, KO (knee) , UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:59 ,
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, France , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4 , Claudio Puelles , Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, Mexico , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 ,
Jai Herbert Jai Kyle Herbert (born 13 May 1988) is an English mixed martial artist who currently fights as a lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former Cage Warriors lightweight champion and also competed in BAMMA. Background Her ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs. Tybura , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, England , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 , Michal Figlak , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, France , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 ,
Terrance McKinney Terrance Kitarius McKinney (born September 15, 1994) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2017, McKinney also compet ...
, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs. Green , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:11 ,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 , Luigi Vendramini , Decision (majority) , UFC 263 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located about nine miles northwest of the state capital Phoenix, Glendale is known for State Farm Stadium, which is the home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. The city al ...
, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 ,
Jamie Mullarkey Jamie Mullarkey (born 17 August 1994) is an Australian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Mullarkey grew up in Central Coast area, attending Erina High School. He ...
, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
, United Arab Emirates , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3 , Don Madge , Decision (unanimous) ,
UFC 242 ''UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier '' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on September 7, 2019 at The Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background The event mar ...
, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 , Yassine Belhadj , Submission (guillotine choke) , European Beatdown 5 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:05 ,
La Louvière La Louvière (; ) is a city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Boussoit, Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pie ...
, Belgium , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Julio Matos , Decision (unanimous) , European Beatdown 4 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,
Mons Mons commonly refers to: * Mons, Belgium, a city in Belgium * Mons pubis (mons Venus or mons veneris), in mammalian anatomy, the adipose tissue lying above the pubic bone * Mons (planetary nomenclature), a sizable extraterrestrial mountain * Batt ...
, Belgium , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Abner Lloveras , KO (punch) , HIT-FC 5 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:24 ,
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
, Switzerland , , - , Win , align=center, 7–2 , Alexey Valivakhin , TKO (punches and elbows) , World Warriors FC 8 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:01 ,
Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
, Ukraine , , - , Win , align=center, 6–2 , Artem Tanshyn , TKO (elbows) , Road to World Warriors FC 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:18 ,
Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
, Ukraine , , - , Loss , align=center, 5–2 , Wu Haotian , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Kunlun Fight MMA 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:41 ,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
, China , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Damien Lapilus , KO (head kick) , Lyon FC 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, France , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–1 , Viskhan Magomadov , Submission (rear-naked choke) , ACB 46 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:58 ,
Olsztyn Olsztyn ( , ) is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with powiat rights, city with county rights. The population of the city was estimated at 169,793 residents Olsz ...
, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Laïd Zerhouni , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Gladiator Fighting Arena 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:32 ,
Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...
, France , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Jean Dutriaux , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , 100% Fight 27 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:50 ,
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, France , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Dominic Yeo , TKO (punches) , Westside Fighting Challenge 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:58 ,
Dornbirn Dornbirn () is a city in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It is the administrative centre for the district of Dornbirn, which also includes the town of Hohenems, and the market town Lustenau. Dornbirn is the largest city in Vorarlb ...
, Austria , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Guerra Mathias , Submission (armbar) , Lyon FC 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:12 ,
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, France , , -


Kickboxing record

, - bgcolor="#c5d2ea" , 2017-10-28 , , Draw , , align=left, Mohamed Souane , , Glory 47: Lyon , ,
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, , Decision , , 3 , , 3:00 , - bgcolor="#cfc" , 2017-05-06 , , Win , , align=left, Yoan Benbedra , , Takedown FC 1, ,
Tarare Tarare is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. It lies on the Turdine river, 28 miles west-northwest of Lyon by rail. History The city was founded at the beginning of the 12th century, as the priory of Tarare by the Savigny ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, , TKO (retirement) , , 3 , , , - bgcolor="#cfc" , 2016-04-08 , , Win , , align=left, Igor Kozak , , Fight Night 1 , ,
Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, , TKO (Doctor stoppage) , , 2 , , , - bgcolor="#cfc" , 2015-10-03 , , Win , , align=left, Yazid Boussaha , , Boxe , , Calvi,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 5 , , 3:00 , - ! style=background:white colspan=9 , , - bgcolor="#cfc" , 2015 , , Win , , align=left, Tom Pedreno , , Sanda Pro Fight Tour , ,
Tarare Tarare is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. It lies on the Turdine river, 28 miles west-northwest of Lyon by rail. History The city was founded at the beginning of the 12th century, as the priory of Tarare by the Savigny ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, , TKO , , , , , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'':


See also

*
List of male mixed martial artists This is a list of notable professional male mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order. __NOTOC__ A * Tank Abbott - ( UFC, Pride, Strikeforce) * Hamdy Abdelwahab - ( UFC) * Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov - ( ACB) * Shamil Abdurakhimov - ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ziam, Fares 1997 births Living people French male mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters French sportspeople of Algerian descent French practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists utilizing kickboxing Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Mixed martial artists utilizing judo French male kickboxers Lightweight kickboxers Glory kickboxers Sportspeople from Vénissieux 21st-century French sportsmen