UFC light-weight contenders Fares Ziam and Mike Davis opened up the UFC Saudi Arabia predominant card on Saturday evening in what turned out to be a brutal battle.
Coming into his battle in opposition to Mike Davis, ‘The Smile Killer’ was driving a four-fight win streak and hoped to choose up one other big win to place himself near the highest 15.
Davis was additionally driving a four-fight win streak, nonetheless, current inactivity has massively halted ‘Beast Boy’s’ momentum.
Fares Ziam went on to win the battle by way of determination after three extraordinarily shut and brutal rounds, which noticed each fighters lower open badly in what turned out to be a massacre.
Sodiq Yusuff questions Mike Davis’ well being coming into UFC Saudi Arabia
The UFC Saudi Arabia predominant card opener started with the Frenchman showcasing his quick sharpshooting hanging and he was seemingly inflicting the American points along with his quick palms.
Davis then started to work himself again into the battle after securing a takedown and subsequently transitioning effectively and controlling Ziam on the bottom.
Within the second spherical, the 27-year-old did effectively to maintain Davis off his legs and stuffed nearly all of his takedown makes an attempt. In addition to that, Ziam opened up a lower on the facet of ‘Beast Boys’ head which prompted him points all through the remainder of the battle.
Regardless of that, Davis complained within the interval between rounds two and three that he was caught with a watch poke which affected his imaginative and prescient for the remainder of the battle.
After a dominant half of spherical three by Ziam, Davis turned the tide in direction of the tip of the spherical and landed an enormous elbow while controlling the Frenchman on the bottom and opening up an enormous lower above the 27-year-old’s eye.
With them now each leaking all around the Octagon, they had been each too slippery for Davis to safe a submission and Ziam edged via to a choice win.
With Davis’ years of inactivity and damage struggles, featherweight star, Sodiq Yusuff questioned whether or not he got here into the battle injured, stating that he didn’t look himself.
“I ponder if Davis got here in harm. He doesn’t look himself,” Yusuff tweeted on X.
I ponder if Davis got here in harm. He dies not appear like himself
— Sodiq Yusuff (@Super_Sodiq) February 1, 2025
What’s subsequent for Fares Ziam following UFC Saudi Arabia win?
Now driving a five-fight win streak, Ziam is on the verge of a prime 15 rating at 155lbs. The Frenchman is normally a shoo-in to participate on the UFC Paris playing cards in September, nonetheless, he’ll probably battle earlier than then too.
Grant Dawson is at the moment sat in rank 15 and can probably defend his rating once more subsequent regardless of being on a three-fight win streak.
Dawson would undoubtedly present the hardest check for the 27-year-old up to now and it will decide whether or not Ziam could possibly be a future title contender in stacked light-weight division.