LAS VEGAS – Fares Ziam is finally ready to take his UFC career to the next level.
After notching his fifth consecutive win over Mike Davis in February, the streaking lightweight told MMA Junkie that he’s not ready for a ranked opponent. He wound up drawing rising contender Kaue Fernandes this past September but withdrew after the passing of his grandmother.
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Ziam was then booked against Nazim Sadykhov in Saturday’s UFC 323 prelims at T-Mobile arena, and he passed that test with flying colors. Ziam (18-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) showed off his grappling and striking en route to a Round 2 TKO to make it six wins in a row – and now he’s ready for a ranked opponent.
“I said to many people after my Mike Davis fight that I don’t want a top 15, I want a guy like me to evolve.” Ziam told MMA Junkie and other reporters during the UFC 323 post-fight news conference. “Tonight it was this, so I want a top 10. A top 10 will be great.”
Ziam’s six-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Paddy Pimblett’s seven.
“Six-fight win streak in the UFC is not bad. It’s very good because all the guys are very hard,” Ziam said. “In the lightweight division, we have a lot of prospects, but for me, I am top 15 rigrht now because a six-fight win streak is very good, and let’s go for a top 10.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Fares Ziam ready for top-10 fighter after UFC 323 finish
