Athletes
Fares Ziam: Learning On The Job
French Lightweight Discusses Lessons Learned Ahead Of His Return To Action This Weekend In Mexico City
Soon after Fares Ziam was booked to compete in Mexico City, his manager reached out to pass along a piece of advice to the French lightweight.
“My manager told me, ‘You need to go one month before your fight because the altitude is too high; you need to be acclimated,’” recalled Ziam, who followed that advice and left his home base in Lyon well in advance of this weekend’s clash with Claudio Puelles in order to ensure that he was fully prepared to deal with the unique challenges that come with fighting in the Mexican capital.
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“The altitude is too high, and when you train, you feel it breathing,” he added with a smile, noting that he had settled in well and was sure to be fully acclimatized to his surroundings by the time Saturday evening rolls around.
In a way, Ziam’s understanding of the need to get settled in Mexico City mirrors the settling process that most fighters undergo when they first touch down in the UFC, as the step up in competition can at times mimic the drastic impact of competing more than 7,000 feet above sea level.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old debuted in the Octagon at UFC 242, arriving with a 10-2 record and riding a five-fight winning streak, only to land on the wrong side of the scorecards in a bout with Don Madge. In each of his next two outings, Ziam garnered victories — the first by unanimous decision over Jamie Mullarkey, and the second by majority decision against Luigi Vendramini — but looked hesitant, cautious; fighting not to lose more than he was fighting to win.
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His loss to Terrance McKinney at the end of February 2022 was the final fight on his contract, and initially, the UFC opted not to renew his deal, which came as a crushing blow to the French fighter.
“For me, my mind was very bad, my heart, too,” admitted Ziam, who re-upped with the promotion ahead of its debut in Paris, where he scored a unanimous decision win over newcomer Michal Figlak to get things moving in a positive direction again. “The UFC is a dream for a lot of fighters, and I got the chance to fight there, but after that (I was ready to move on).
“Maybe one month after that, my manager called me and said, ‘UFC is going to re-sign you’ and I was very happy.”
Now a couple years removed from his momentary heartbreak and carrying a two-fight winning streak his bout with Puelles on Saturday, Ziam recognizes the differences in his approach then and now.
“I think when UFC cut me, something in my mind,” he began, pausing to find the correct words. “Before I just wanted to win the fight; I didn’t want to push more because I was afraid to lose in the UFC. Now I’m not afraid — I’m confident — and I think that is the key.”
He followed up his win in Paris over Figlak with a similar effort against Jai Herbert in London last July, where he suffered a broken foot that kept him from making a second trip into the Octagon on French soil and kept him on the sidelines until now.
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And while he’s happy to be set to compete again, “Smile Killer” isn’t exactly all smiles about having to share the cage with Puelles on Saturday night.
“If Claudio sees this — Claudio, you are my friend,” said Ziam, who trained alongside his opponent this weekend at Kill Cliff FC in South Florida and considers Puelles a friend.
Though he acknowledged the business element at play and the UFC being unable to accommodate every potential personal relationship that exists between competitors in the same weight class, having to step in against someone he’s worked with in the past is understandably frustrating for the ascending Ziam.
“I don’t like fighting a guy I know because there are maybe 80, 90 fighters in the lightweight division, so there are a lot of options,” he said. “I trained with him, I helped him for the Dan Hooker fight because I’m similar — a striker, long.
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“But we talked to each other after that,” he added, noting that the two men acknowledged it’s just business.
Saturday’s contest is also a big opportunity for Ziam, though, as Puelles was on the precipice of the Top 15 heading into his UFC 281 clash with Hooker after amassing five consecutive wins prior to that loss in New York City. He is arguably the biggest name Ziam has faced to date, and a win would certainly elevate him closer to the Top 15 himself, all of which makes you wonder if maybe there are key benefits to take away from having trained with the man standing between himself and the biggest win of his career this weekend?
“There is a benefit, but not too much,” Ziam said with a smile. “If you look at his fights, you know he is good on the ground, he has good leg locks. You know his boxing is not good, you know he has good wrestling, but not too high.
“I’m confident in this fight,” he added. “I know the only chance he has to beat me is on the ground. I have back-to-back wins, so I’m confident to put on a very good performance.”
In addition to wanting to deliver a strong effort and collect a third straight victory on Saturday night, Ziam is hoping to use this late February date as an opportunity to compete more often this year. He even has a timeline mapped out for the UFC matchmakers, just in case.
“I just want to fight more than one time or two times a year; maybe three, four,” said the now 14-4 lightweight fighter, who carries a 4-2 mark inside the Octagon into his matchup with Puelles at Arena CDMX. “I’m young, fresh, and I want to fight.
“I want June, because last time, I fought in London maybe (a month and a half) before Paris,” added Ziam, whose dreams of a quick turnaround to compete on the September event in “The City of Lights” were dashed after he broke his foot. “So maybe June — that’s three months before UFC Paris.
“But if not, I will fight in Paris.”
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Royval 2 took place live from Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico on February 24, 2024. See the Prelims / Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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