Axel Sola was willing to eat one to land one at UFC Paris, and Fares Ziam found out the hard way just how bad of a trade that could be.
Sola ate a clean elbow while setting up a perfectly timed left hook that immediately shut Ziam’s lights off, delivering a walk-off knockout and one of the biggest highlight-reel finishes of Saturday night in Paris.
Round 1 – Ziam came out and immediately went to the leg kick. Both guys bounced around and stayed light on their feet, which was pretty much what you expected early on.
Sola kept looking for openings to rush in and let his hands go, but every time he tried to close the distance, Ziam was there waiting with another leg kick.
Ziam continued chopping away at the legs while Sola answered with punches up top. Neither guy was really taking control, but you could tell Sola was waiting for the right moment to explode forward.
Then the finish came.
And GOOD LORD did it come fast.
Sola faked the takedown and leaned to his right, setting up the left hook. Ziam read the level change and fired a clean elbow that landed right on Sola’s face, but in doing so, his attention completely disappeared from what was coming behind it.
That left hand.
Sola ate the elbow and absolutely CRACKED Ziam with the left hook.
Ziam went out immediately.
No follow-up shots needed. No argument about the stoppage. Just one perfectly timed left hand and somebody turn the lights off.
The setup was beautiful, the timing was even better, and Sola was willing to eat an elbow to land the shot that mattered.
Incredible finish for Axel Sola in Paris.
Official Result: Axel Sola def. Fares Ziam via R1 KO, 1:40
