Youssef Zalal to headline UFC event for first time in career this weekend

Youssef Zalal will headline a UFC event for the first time this weekend after climbing to No. 7 in the featherweight rankings. The Moroccan fighter debuted in the UFC in 2020 with three consecutive wins before hitting a rough patch with three losses and one draw. After leaving for the American promotion Sparta, where he secured three first-round finishes, Zalal returned to the UFC in 2024 with renewed success. He has won three straight fights by submission, including a decision victory over Calvin Kattar and a first-round armbar finish of Josh Emmett. At 29 years old, Zalal now sits just behind Jian Silva in the rankings and could enter the top five with a victory over Aljamain Sterling.