“I think it’s going to be a very good fight. But I’m going to win by finish again,” said Farès Ziam ahead of his clash against Mike Davis at UFC Saudi Arabia. Riding a tough fight-winning streak, ‘Silent Killer’ entered the Octagon with a single goal—to extend his streak to five and he did achieve the victory. However, despite the victory, Ziam showcased a performance where his knee received more spotlight than the rest of him.

“Smile Killer” might have won the match and extended his winning streak to five fights, but more than the win, his unwavering determination and refusal to give up have undoubtedly won the hearts of the fans and #10th ranked former lightweight contender, Renato Moicano.

The Brazilian took to his X handle to share a photo of their fight, where Davis locked Ziam’s right knee to the point that it looked like it was about to pop. Renato Moicano captioned the image with a single message and it highlighted the toughness on display – “99% of people would be in crutches.“

Davis secured a relentless calf slicer on Ziam, with the holding feeling like it lasted forever. The real threat wasn’t only the strain on the calf, but the twisting pressure on the knee. It looked bent in an unnatural way that had the fans’ toes curled. ‘Smile Killer’, however, displayed remarkable toughness, managing to weather the pain and end the round in control, landing a few strikes on Davis. Well, Moicano was not the only one who reacted to the injury as the fans took over his X post to give their own opinion as well.

Fans react to gut-wrenching potential calf-slicer injury for Farès Ziam

The calf slicer looked almost perfect, but Ziam managed to secure a better grip on the position and managed to clinch out of it. However, the fighter might still feel the aftereffects of the submission hold once his adrenaline wears off. “He might be once the adrenaline goes down,” a response to Moicano’s X post read. The fans were flabbergasted by the fact that Ziam held on his own against such a brutal slicer, “My knee hurts just watching it.”

Losing is not an option when you are fighting in front of your own crowd and ‘Smile Killer’ knew it pretty well, “He couldn’t afford to lose!” Moreover, another fan was awestruck by Ziam’s stubborn nature to win the match, “My knees started hurting just watching that. Damn”

Last but not least, more fans are baffled by the way Farès Ziam handled himself in the midst of the slicer, “I even felt that in me knee watching live cuz he has it for a good 90sec”

Farès Ziam’s four-fight winning streak is now at five. Do you think Dana White will get him a big name next? Regardless, what’s your take on UFC Saudi Arabia? State your thoughts in the comments below.