Yusuff Zalal has stated his ambition to break Charles Oliveira's record for most submissions in featherweight history, which currently stands at six. Zalal revealed he became motivated after seeing a graphic during Oliveira's fight with Max Holloway that showed the submission record. With his name already on that list, Zalal believes two more submission wins would tie Oliveira's mark. He expressed particular pride at the prospect of submitting Aljamain Sterling, noting that Sterling has never been submitted in his career and has only been finished twice, both by strikes. Zalal sees submitting Sterling as a potential career-defining achievement.
Said Zalal has set his sights on a piece of featherweight history, publicly stating his goal of surpassing Charles Oliveira's record for the most submission victories in the division.
Zalal revealed that a graphic displayed during Oliveira's fight with Max Holloway sparked his ambition. Seeing the list of featherweight submission leaders — and spotting his own name on it — prompted him to calculate that two more submission finishes would tie Oliveira's mark of six. From there, breaking the record outright became the target.
Charles Oliveira, now competing at lightweight and ranked third in that division at age 36, built much of his legacy at featherweight before moving up. The Brazilian southpaw out of Chute Boxe Diego Lima averages 2.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes, a rate that reflects the grappling-heavy style that helped him accumulate that featherweight submission benchmark.
Aljamain Sterling, the 36-year-old ranked fourth at featherweight with a 26-5 record, represents a particularly compelling target in Zalal's plans. Zalal singled out Sterling with notable enthusiasm, pointing out that "Funk Master" has never been submitted in his professional career and has been finished only twice — both times by strikes. Sterling, who trains out of Serra-Longo Fight Team, is himself a capable grappler, averaging 2.45 takedowns per 15 minutes and holding a 52 percent striking accuracy. Submitting a fighter of that profile and pedigree, Zalal suggested, would rank among the defining moments of his career.
Why it matters
- Oliveira's featherweight submission record gives Zalal a concrete statistical milestone to chase, adding narrative weight to his future fights.
- Sterling's unblemished submission defense makes him a high-profile measuring stick — a finish there would carry significant career value.
- Both men sit inside the featherweight top five, meaning any matchup between them would carry legitimate rankings implications at 145 pounds.
