Youssef Zalal to headline UFC event for first time this weekend

Moroccan featherweight Youssef Zalal will headline a UFC event for the first time in his career this weekend. After a rocky start that included three losses and a draw following his initial three-win streak, Zalal left for Sparta Combat League where he secured three first-round finishes. Since returning to the UFC in 2024, he has won three fights by submission, then defeated ranked opponents Calvin Kattar by decision and Josh Emmett by first-round armbar. Now ranked seventh at featherweight, directly behind Jae Hyun Sung, the 29-year-old could break into the top five with a victory over Aljamain Sterling.