Youssef Zalal to headline UFC event for first time this weekend

Youssef Zalal will headline a UFC event for the first time in his career this weekend. The Moroccan fighter debuted in the UFC in 2020, winning his first three fights before suffering three losses and a draw. He then left for the Sparta promotion, where he won three first-round finishes. Zalal returned to the UFC in 2024 and secured three submission victories, then defeated ranked opponents Calvin Kattar by decision and Josh Emmett by first-round armbar. He is currently ranked number seven in the featherweight division, just behind Jean Silva, and could enter the top five with a win over Aljamain Sterling. Zalal is 29 years old.