Axel Sola delivered a stunning statement at UFC Paris, needing just 1:40 of the opening round to brutally knock out fellow Frenchman Farès Ziam in the UFC Paris co-main event.
The UFC Paris co-main event brings an intriguing all-French battle to the Accor Arena as Fares Ziam takes on rising lightweight Axel Sola on September 5. Both fighters know what is at stake, but they arrive with very different recent stories. This isn’t just another lightweight matchup but a battle between two French fighters fighting in front of French fans, with both men desperate to make a statement.
Ziam enters the fight with an 18-5 record, but his latest outing ends in disappointment. The French lightweight suffers a unanimous-decision loss to Tom Nolan in June 2026, snapping the momentum he had built with three straight victories over Matt Frevola, Mike Davis and Nazim Sadykhov Now, Ziam gets the perfect opportunity to respond with his home crowd behind him.
Axel Sola, meanwhile, enters with a 12-1-1 record and plenty of confidence. His most recent fight ends with a first-round submission victory over Ismael Bonfim at UFC Abu Dhabi in July 2026. Before that, Sola suffers his first professional loss to Mason Jones in March, meaning he is also looking to build on a recent bounce-back victory.
Sola has already shown that he can finish fights, with six knockout victories and two submissions on his professional record.
The fight begins with both lightweight contenders showing respect for each other’s striking. Ziam starts well, using his length and leg kicks to work from the outside. He looks comfortable at range and lands some clean kicks as Sola searches for his opening. Sola, however, remains patient. Rather than recklessly charging forward, the 28-year-old begins closing the distance and looking for opportunities to counter. The exchanges remain competitive, with both men finding moments on the feet. Then, at around the 1:40 mark, everything changes.
The two fighters crash into range at almost the same time. Ziam throws an elbow as the exchange develops, but Sola’s counter is already on its way. Sola lands a devastating punch clean on Ziam’s head. Ziam immediately goes unconscious and collapses to the canvas. Sola follows with a few additional punches, but referee Marc Goddard quickly jumps in and stops the fight and it’s over. Sola has just produced one of the most spectacular knockouts of UFC Paris. “Fares is a f*cking great fighter,” Sola said after his victory. “Bring your support for him. I hope you like my performance. My job is only to say yes to the matchmakers so I’m waiting on the offer.”
Another major moment on the UFC Paris card came in the co-main event, where Axel Sola delivered a devastating one-punch knockout against fellow Frenchman Farès Ziam. The two lightweights begin with measured exchanges, with Ziam finding some success with his kicks while Sola patiently looks for an opening. That opening arrives at 1:40 of the first round when the fighters exchange at close range. Ziam lands an elbow, but Sola’s counter punch gets there first.
The shot lands clean and instantly drops Ziam unconscious. Sola follows with a few punches before referee Marc Goddard steps in to stop the contest “Fares is a f*cking great fighter,” Sola said after his victory. “Bring your support for him. I hope you like my performance. My job is only to say yes to the matchmakers so I’m waiting on the offer.”
Another interesting fight on the card was Michael Page vs Nursulton Ruziboev Michael “Venom” Page secures another UFC victory at UFC Paris, defeating Nursulton Ruziboev by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). However, the performance once again leaves fans wanting more. Ruziboev immediately takes the fight to the ground in Round 1, controlling Page against the cage. Page finds more success on the feet in the second, hurting Ruziboev with a damaging kick to the knee, but fails to capitalize. In the final round, Page lands some clean punches but again doesn’t follow up aggressively enough to seriously threaten a finish. Ruziboev also manages another takedown, keeping the fight competitive until the final bell. Page gets the win, but his lack of finishing urgency remains the biggest talking point. The victory also comes in the final fight of his current UFC contract.
Check out UFC Paris results below.
Main Card
Salahdine Parnasse def. Dan Hooker via first-round KO (2:35) (live blog)
Axel Sola def. Fares Ziam via first-round KO (1:40) | Watch finish
Michael Page def. Nursulton Ruziboev via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Daniil Donchenko def. Punahele Soriano via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Kurtis Campbell def. Trevor Peek via submission (RNC) (R3, 3:07)
Losene Keita def. Muhammad Naimov via first-round KO (2:54)
Preliminary Card
Felipe Lima def. Morgan Charriere via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Mario Pinto def. Ryan Spann via second-round TKO (0:55)
Modestas Bukauskas def. Oumar Sy via second-round TKO (3:57)
Pavel Andrusca def. Nathaniel Wood via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Fabia Sintes def. Michael Aljarouj via unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 29-27)
Nora Cornolle def. Klaudia Sygula via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Matthieu Duclos def. Luis Felipe Dias via first-round KO (4:35)
Delphine Benouaich def. Sofia Montenegro via submission (RNC) (R2, 4:22)
