Axel Sola and Fares Ziam Set for Explosive Clash on September 5th

Two local fighters have been matched up at 155 pounds for UFC Paris on September 5. Axel Sola will battle fellow Frenchman Fares Ziam in a lightweight bout.

Axel Sola

Axel Sola called his shot to get on the UFC’s card in France after defeating Ismael Bonfim in Abu Dhabi two weekends ago.

For the second straight year, Sola will get the chance to fight in front of his hometown fans. He made his UFC debut last September in Paris, where he defeated Rhys McKee via third-round TKO.

Axel Sola suffered the first loss of his professional career in his second UFC bout, dropping a decision to Mason Jones in a Fight of the Night effort in London in March. He looked incredibly impressive in his most recent outing, locking in a slick D’Arce choke that rendered Bonfim unconscious at the end of the first round.

Overall, Axel Sola owns a professional record of 12-1-1. He also boasts a 67% finish rate and is seemingly allergic to boring fights. Having fought at the end of July and now being booked for the beginning of September, this will mark the shortest turnaround between bouts of Sola’s blossoming career.

Fares Ziam

Fares Ziam, meanwhile, is looking to get back into the win column after losing a unanimous decision to Tom Nolan in June.

Like Sola, Ziam has benefited greatly from fighting in his home country. “The Smile Killer” was released from the UFC in February 2022 after losing to Terrance McKinney. However, the promotion brought him back without requiring him to win on the regional scene when the UFC first touched down in Paris that September.

That second chance has proven to be a great move for both Ziam and the UFC. After defeating Michal Figlak in Paris in 2022, Ziam went on a six-fight winning streak that resulted in a number next to his name in the top 15.

Unfortunately, he was unable to defend his ranking when he lost to Nolan in June, dropping Ziam back to the unranked portion of the division. However, he remains just on the outskirts of the top 15. Ziam now owns an 18-5 professional record, including an 8-3 mark in the UFC. A win over Sola would get him right back on track and potentially back into the rankings.

It’s rare that the UFC books fighters from the same country against one another, particularly when that country is not heavily represented in the organization. However, both Frenchmen accepted the offer.

It’s also worth mentioning that Sola and Ziam come from different camps. Sola trains at Boxing Squad MMA in Nice, France, while Ziam relocated to the United States, where he trains at Trevor Wittman’s Kill Cliff FC in Colorado. Ziam also cross-trains in Lyon, France not far from Nice, but separate from where Sola trains. Both fighters will likely receive a warm welcome from the crowd, and it will be very interesting to see who comes out on top.

UFC Paris

As it stands, there are currently 13 fights announced for UFC Paris, with Salahdine Parnasse making his highly anticipated UFC debut against Dan Hooker in the headliner. The card currently stands as follows:

Main Event:

• Salahdine Parnasse vs. Dan Hooker (Lightweight)

Confirmed Bouts:

• Michael Venom Page vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (Middleweight)
• Losene Keita vs. Muhammad Naimov (Featherweight)
• Mario Pinto vs. Ryan Spann (Heavyweight)
• Oumar Sy vs. Modestas Bukauskas (Light Heavyweight)
• Punahele Soriano vs. Daniil Donchenko (Welterweight)
• Kurtis Campbell vs. Trevor Peek (Featherweight)
• Luis Felipe Dias vs. Matthieu Duclos (Middleweight)
• Nora Cornolle vs. Klaudia Sygula (Women’s Bantamweight)
• Fabia Sintes vs. Michael Aljarouj (Flyweight)
• Nathaniel Wood vs. Mairon Santos (Featherweight)
• Morgan Charriere vs. Felipe Lima (Featherweight)
• Fares Ziam vs. Axel Sola (Lightweight)