Yussef Zalal to headline UFC event for first time this weekend

Moroccan fighter Yussef Zalal, 29, will headline a UFC event for the first time in his career this weekend. After debuting in the UFC in 2020 with three consecutive wins, Zalal suffered three losses and a draw before leaving for the American promotion Sparta, where he secured three first-round finishes. Upon returning to the UFC in 2024, he recorded three submission victories and earned a ranked opponent. Zalal defeated Calvin Kattar by decision and then submitted Josh Emmett in the first round. Currently ranked seventh in the featherweight division, Zalal sits directly behind Jae-Hyeong Jin and could enter the top five with a victory over Sterling.