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 featherweight debuted in the UFC in 2020, winning his first three fights before suffering three losses and one draw. After leaving for the American promotion Sparta, where he secured three first-round finishes, Zalal returned to the UFC in 2024. Since his return, he has won three fights by submission, defeated ranked opponent Calvin Kattar by decision, and submitted Josh Emmett in the first round. Now ranked seventh at featherweight, the 29-year-old will face Aljamain Sterling, with a victory potentially propelling him into the top five.