Fares Ziam may not have to toil in relative anonymity much longer.
As Ziam turns his attention toward Frevola and their looming battle at 155 pounds, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. He was an early riser.
Ziam made his debut as a professional mixed martial artist at the age of 17, as he took care of Mathias Guerra with a first-round armbar at a regional event on Nov. 22, 2014. He went 5-2 as a teenager, suffering submission losses to Viskhan Magomadov and Haotian Wu during his formative years in the sport.
2. Pressure seems to bring out the best in him.
“Smile Killer” captured championships in two promotions prior to his arrival in the UFC. Ziam laid claim to the Lyon Fighting Championship lightweight title with a head kick knockout of Damien Lapilus at LFC 7 on Nov. 19, 2016 and walked away with the Hit Fighting Championship lightweight crown when he punched out Abner Lloveras at HFC 5 on March 10, 2018.
3. He places a premium on preparedness.
Ziam operates out of the revered Kill Cliff Fight Club camp in Deerfield Beach, Florida, where he trains under Henri Hooft and Greg Jones. The gym offers him regular access to a deep roster of world-class stablemates, from Robbie Lawler, Brendan Allen and Michael Chandler to Vicente Luque, Jason Jackson and Gilbert Burns.
4. Frequent-flyer miles should never be in short supply.
The Frenchman has already fought in 11 different countries. In addition to his native France, Ziam has suited up in Austria, Poland, China, Ukraine, Switzerland, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, England, Mexico and the United States. He has never lost on home soil, having compiled a perfect 5-0 record there.
5. A desire to throw hands runs in his blood.
Ziam has combat sports in his DNA. His father, Tayeb Ziam, went 4-15-1 in 20 bouts as a pro boxer during a career that spanned nearly a decade, from Feb. 29, 1992 to May 26, 2000.