5 Things You Might Not Know About Fares Ziam

Fares Ziam could soon work his way into more meaningful conversations in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division.

The 26-year-old French prospect will seek to establish a stronger foothold in the company when he tackles Jai Herbert in a featured UFC Fight Night 224 attraction on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London. Zarem has compiled a respectable 3-2 record across his five appearances inside the Octagon. He last competed on Sept. 3, when he laid claim to a unanimous decision over Michal Figlak in their three-round encounter at UFC Fight Night 209.

As Ziam moves ever closer to his looming confrontation with Herbert at 155 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. Nothing about his roots screams extraordinary.

Ziam was born on March 21, 1997 in Venissieux, France—a city of roughly 70,000 people situated some 300 miles to the southeast of Paris. Only a four-hour drive stands between the commune and the iconic Eifel Tower.

2. He trades in precious metals.

“Smile Killer” made his professional mixed martial arts debut at the age of 17, won his first four bouts and went on to capture titles in the Lyon Fighting Championship and Hit Fighting Championship promotions. Ziam struck lightweight gold at LFC 7 on Nov. 19, 2016, when he chopped down Damien Lapilus with a first-round head kick. A little more than a year later, he punched out Abner Lloveras in the second round of their HFC 5 pairing and walked away with another title at 155 pounds.

3. His inner circle was chosen wisely.

Ziam has dropped anchor at Kill Cliff Fight Club in Deerfield Beach, Florida, where he trains under a star-studded coaching staff that includes Henri Hooft, Kami Barzini and three-time NCAA wrestling champion Greg Jones. Ex-UFC welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman, three-time Bellator MMA champion Michael Chandler and former two-division One Championship titlist Aung La N Sang are among those who have called the gym home.

4. Talent has taken him far and wide.

The 6-foot-1, 155-pound Frenchman has fought in nine different countries over the course of his 17-fight career. In addition to his native France, Ziam has suited up in Austria, Poland, China, Ukraine, Switzerland, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

5. He sometimes struggles to shield his neck.

While Ziam has never been knocked out, he has shown a vulnerability to one of the sports most tried-and-true techniques. Three of his four career defeats have resulted from submissions to rear-naked chokes. Terrance McKinney, Haotian Wu and Viskhan Magomadov were the perpetrators.