Youssef Zalal to headline UFC card for first time this weekend

Youssef Zalal will headline a UFC event for the first time in his career this weekend. The Moroccan featherweight debuted in the UFC in 2020, winning his first three fights before suffering three losses and a draw. He then competed in the American promotion Sparta, where he scored three first-round finishes. Zalal returned to the UFC in 2024 and won three fights by submission before earning ranked opposition. He defeated Calvin Kattar by decision and then submitted Josh Emmett in the first round. Now ranked number seven in the featherweight division, Zalal is set to face Aljamain Sterling, with a win potentially moving him into the top five. He is 29 years old.