Yussef Zalal to headline first UFC event of his career this weekend

Yussef Zalal will headline his first UFC event this coming weekend. The Moroccan fighter debuted in the UFC in 2020, winning his first three fights before suffering three losses and one draw. He then competed in the American promotion Sparta, securing three first-round finishes. Zalal returned to the UFC in 2024 and won three consecutive fights by submission before facing ranked opponents. He defeated Calvin Kattar by decision and submitted Josh Emmett in the first round. Now ranked seventh in the featherweight division, just behind Jean Silva, the 29-year-old Zalal will enter the top five with a victory over Sterling.