MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month for September 2024: Fares Ziam

Radley Da Silva’s (6-1) first knockout in more than 13 years was one that will define his highlight reel. And Drake Randall was on the unfortunate receiving end of it.

Da Silva scored a pinpoint spinning wheel kick finish on Randall in the opening moments of the second round in the featherweight contest, and that was all that was needed to seal the deal.

Yuneisy Duben (6-0) dropped the UFC brass’ jaws collectively when she pulled off a massive upset in emphatically violent fashion against Shannon Clark (5-1).

A +837 underdog across major online sportsbooks, Duben knocked the LFA flyweight champ stiff with a big punch just 73 seconds into the strawweight bout. White told Duben through the cage that there perhaps wasn’t a point in having her stick around to hear his final decisions that night – indicating a no-brainer UFC signing.

Chris Padilla (15-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) wasn’t credited with a traditional knockout against Rong Zhu (25-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC) in their lightweight bout, but what he pulled off was equally violent.

After a big standing elbow from Padilla ballooned the left eye of Zhu, the cage-side physician was called in to examine the injury. The physician determined the fight could no longer continue, so Padilla was named the winner.

Damir Ismagulov (26-3) showed why he’s one of the best lightweights in the world not signed to the UFC with a vicious highlight-reel knockout.

Ismagulov, who won five of seven fights under the UFC banner before departing the organization with back-to-back losses in July 2023, delivered a spectacular spinning wheel kick knockout on Oberdan Tenorio (36-16-1), who leaned directly into the fight-ending shot in the opening round.

The winner

Fares Ziam scored his first UFC finish in emphatic fashion.

Ziam (16-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) knocked out Matt Frevola (11-5-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC) with a devastating knee at the 2:59 mark of Round 3 in their lightweight bout.

Ziam was in firm control throughout the fight, stunning Frevola on multiple occasions. He mixed up his attack with some takedowns, before landing a thunderous knee in the clinch which put Frevola out cold. Frevola was on his back for several minutes, but eventually left the cage on his feet with the help of medical officials.

Ziam extended his winning streak to four. The 27-year-old Algerian-French fighter has now won six of his past seven. Frevola, meanwhile, has been knocked out in back-to-back fights.