Preview: UFC 323 Prelims

Lightweights

Fares Ziam (17-4, 7-2 UFC) vs. Nazim Sadykhov (11-1-1, 4-0-1 UFC)

BETTING ODDS: Ziam (-135), Sadykhov (+114)

One of the better-matched fights on this card sees two rising lightweights look to get over the hump with a big win. Ziam had earned his UFC shot when the promotion picked him up in 2019, but the Frenchman wasn’t particularly exciting as a prospect. Tall and rangy, Ziam was at his best when he was able to slow his fights to a crawl, either by using his length to keep his opponents at bay or pivoting to a control-heavy clinch game. That scouting report held true for about the next half decade, as Ziam was consistently effective but rarely entertaining, at least until a breakout victory over Matt Frevola in September 2024. Buoyed by the Paris crowd, Ziam kept up one of the fastest-paced performances of his career and eventually earned a brutal knockout in the third round. Ziam looked solid in a follow-up win over Mike Davis at the beginning of this year, but he has been out of action for about 10 months. He was slated to return on the Paris card in September, but those plans were scrapped after a death in his family during fight week. It’s good to see Ziam get one more fight in 2025, and it should be a particularly engaging one against Azerbaijan’s Sadykhov, who has overachieved during his three years on the UFC roster.

A contract winner on the 2022 edition of the Contender Series, “Black Wolf” is a fighter whose game is much more than the sum of its parts. Going skill by skill, Sadykhov is decent but not outstanding in most areas, but he’s completely relentless in his pressure, consistently finding a way to outlast—if not outright break—his opponents. Sadykhov hasn’t had a completely clean win since the regional scene, and it does feel like he’s getting a bit lucky at times when it comes to breaking his fights open—victories over Evan Elder and Ismael Bonfim resulted from doctor stoppages—but it’s hard to argue with the results, particularly since he’s a dedicated bringer of violence. This could be where Sadykhov finally hits his ceiling, as Ziam is a sturdy and well-rounded fighter in his own right. However, the Frenchman still feels more defensive by nature even given his recent improvements, so the lean is that Sadykhov can win rounds based on output and aggression. The pick is Sadykhov via decision.

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