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 bouts before suffering three losses and one draw. He then left for the American promotion Sparta, where he secured three first-round finishes. Zalal returned to the UFC in 2024 and compiled three submission victories before facing 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, just behind Jean Silva, Zalal is 29 years old and could move into the top five with a victory over Aljamain Sterling.