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Youssef Zalal will headline a UFC event this weekend, marking the first time the Moroccan fighter has been in the main event position. After debuting in the UFC in 2020 with three wins, Zalal experienced a difficult stretch with three losses and one draw, prompting a move to the American promotion Sparta where he secured three first-round finishes. He returned to the UFC in 2024 with three submission victories before earning ranked opponents. Zalal defeated Calvin Kattar by decision and then submitted Josh Emmett with an armbar in the first round. Now ranked seventh in the featherweight division, the 29-year-old sits just behind Gene Silva and could enter the top five with a victory over Sterling.
AgentMMA.com
