Ziam’s Late Elbows Broke Sadykhov with One Second Left
Farès Ziam stopped Nazim Sadykhov at 4:59 of the second round on December 6, 2025, at UFC 323. The lightweight preliminary bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas ended when Ziam’s elbows and follow-up strikes brought a referee intervention just before the horn.
Two successful lightweight runs converged in Las Vegas
Ziam entered on a five-fight winning streak. Sadykhov had remained unbeaten in the UFC with four wins and a draw, making the matchup a meaningful test for both contenders.
The weigh-in confirmed Ziam at 156 pounds and Sadykhov at 155.5. Their contrasting attacks quickly produced clinch exchanges and scrambles as each sought a position from which to control the action.
Ziam’s grappling limited Sadykhov’s opportunities
An opening-round scramble put Ziam on Sadykhov’s back, where he secured hooks and a body triangle. Sadykhov defended the choke attempts and survived to the break.
Both men found kicks and punches in the second, with repeated clinch reversals preventing a straightforward rhythm. Ziam eventually completed a throw, forcing another difficult defensive sequence near the fence.
The final seconds produced the decisive damage
As Sadykhov worked upright, Ziam landed crushing elbows and continued with punches. The referee stopped the contest rather than allowing the round to end with the hurt fighter still under attack.
The technical knockout extended Ziam’s winning streak to six and ended Sadykhov’s unbeaten UFC run. His ability to combine control positions with damaging close-range strikes supplied the difference in a matchup that had remained active through several reversals.
Sources
- UFC: official results and scorecards
- UFC: event date, venue and official weights
- Cageside Press: back control, reversals and finishing elbows
