Youssef Zalal to headline UFC event for first time this weekend

Youssef Zalal will headline a UFC card for the first time in his career this weekend. The Moroccan fighter debuted in the UFC in 2020 with three consecutive wins, but then suffered three losses and one draw. After being released, Zalal went to the Sparta promotion where he secured three first-round finishes. He returned to the UFC in 2024 and has since won three straight by submission, including victories over ranked opponents Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett. Currently ranked number seven at featherweight, Zalal will face Aljamain Sterling, and a victory would move him into the top five. The 29-year-old's resurgence has been one of the division's most compelling storylines.