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"Smile Killer" stifles lightweight dark horse in bloody UFC Fight Night scrap

The Octagon was covered in blood after these two lightweights threw down in Saudi Arabia.

Drew Beaupre

(Zuffa LLC)

The main card for UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia opened with a matchup between two rising contenders in the lightweight division.

Fares Ziam Extends Winnning Run Against Mike Davis

Competing in arguably the deepest division in the UFC, Fares Ziam and Mike Davis went into UFC Saudi Arabia hoping to add to their respective win streaks.

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Ziam came into the fight on his best run since joining the UFC with four-straight victories, the most recent of which was a brutal knockout in September when he floored Matt Frevola with a knee.

Davis entered the night on a four-fight win streak of his own but has battled injuries since 2020, and the matchup with Ziam represented a chance for "Beast Boy" to score two wins inside a year for the first time since 2019.

The early going saw Ziam establish top position on multiple occasions and connected with some significant shots on the feet against a surprisingly tentative Davis, but in the final minute the American came forward with a big flurry and secured a takedown of his own to land some ground strikes in the final minute.

"Beast Boy" sustained a nasty cut that painted the two lightweights red during a grappling-heavy second round, and Ziam wasted no time in the third frame before he brought things to the mat once again.

Lightweight finishing machine scores quick TKO at UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia

The high-paced lightweight bout lived up to the expectations fans had ahead of UFC Saudi Arabia, and when things went the three-round distance it was Ziam who earned his fifth-straight win with 30-27 scorecards from all three judges.

"Smile Killer" is on an incredible run now after starting his UFC career at 2-2, and there's a strong chance Ziam will find himself matched with ranked opposition whenever fans see him return to the Octagon next.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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