Fares Ziam (8-2 UFC) will face Tom Nolan (4-1 UFC) at UFC Vegas 118 on June 6. The bout will take place in the lightweight division. The matchup was first reported by the MMAOddsBreaker podcast. Both fighters are coming off their recent UFC performances looking to climb the lightweight rankings.
A lightweight clash between Fares Ziam and Tom Nolan has been booked for UFC Vegas 118 on June 6, according to a report from the MMAOddsBreaker podcast.
Ziam, known as "Smile Killer," carries an overall professional record of 18-4-0 and has gone 8-2 inside the UFC. The 29-year-old Frenchman, who trains out of Kill Cliff FC, stands six-foot-one with a 75-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He lands 2.85 significant strikes per minute at a 51 percent accuracy rate, and also contributes on the ground with 1.62 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded threat in the lightweight division.
Nolan, nicknamed "Big Train," holds a 10-1-0 professional record and has posted a 4-1 mark in UFC competition. The 26-year-old Australian out of Team Compton Training Centre is a southpaw who stands six-foot-three and carries a 73-inch reach. He is one of the more prolific volume strikers in the division, landing an impressive 5.87 significant strikes per minute, and also poses a submission threat with 1.9 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Ziam's UFC experience and grappling output will be tested against a younger, high-output striker in Nolan
- Nolan's southpaw stance and size advantage at six-foot-three present a contrasting physical profile to Ziam's orthodox approach
- A win for either fighter would represent a meaningful step toward breaking into the upper tier of the lightweight rankings
- The stylistic contrast — Ziam's accuracy and takedown game versus Nolan's striking volume and submission threats — sets up a genuinely competitive matchup
