Youssef Zalal

Last updated
Youssef Zalal
Born (1996-09-04) September 4, 1996 (age 27)
Casablanca, Morocco
Other namesThe Moroccan Devil
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight145 lb (66 kg; 10 st 5 lb)
Division Bantamweight (2022)
Featherweight (2017-2021, 2022-present)
Lightweight (2017)
Reach72 in (183 cm) [1]
Stance Orthodox
Fighting out of Denver, Colorado, U.S.
TeamFactory X
RankBrown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [1]
Years active2017–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total20
Wins14
By knockout4
By submission7
By decision3
Losses5
By decision5
Draws1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Youssef Zalal (born September 4, 1996) is a Moroccan professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Contents

Early life

Zalal grew up fighting other kids on the streets of Morocco. His mother put him in kickboxing at the age of 10 to help control his anger. Zalal moved to the United States at age 15. [2]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

In the beginning of his mixed martial arts career, Zalal fought primarily on the regional circuit in Colorado compiling a 7-2 record, with most of his fights happening for Legacy Fighting Alliance. [3]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In his promotional debut, Youssef faced fellow newcomer Austin Lingo on February 8, 2020, at UFC 247. [4] He won the fight via unanimous decision. [5]

Youssef faced Jordan Griffin on June 27, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker. [6] He won the fight via unanimous decision. [7]

Zalal faced Peter Barrett at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik on August 8, 2020. [8] He won the fight via unanimous decision. [9]

Zalal was expected to face Seung Woo Choi on October 11, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 179. [10] However, on October 1, 2020, Choi withdrew from the fight and was replaced by Ilia Topuria. [11] Zalal lost the fight via unanimous decision. [12]

Zalal faced Seung Woo Choi, replacing Collin Anglin, on February 6, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 184. [13] He lost the fight via unanimous decision. [14]

Zalal faced Sean Woodson on June 5, 2021, at UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai. [15] He lost the fight via split decision. [16]

Zalal was scheduled to face Cristian Quiñonez on August 13, 2022, at UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Cruz. [17] However, Quiñonez was forced out of the event due to visa issues, and was replaced by Da'Mon Blackshear. [18] The fight ended in a majority draw. [19]

On August 25, 2022, it was announced that Zalal had been released from the UFC. [20]

Post UFC career

Following his release from the UFC, Youssef Zalal made a strong comeback in the MMA circuit. He showcased his skills at Sparta 93 on November 18, 2022, where he triumphed over Edwin Chavez via TKO within the first round. Zalal continued his winning streak on January 20, 2023, at SCL: Fight Night 14 - King of Sparta Welterweight, defeating Jake Childers also by TKO in the first round. His remarkable run persisted as he secured another victory on August 19, 2023, at Sparta Combat League 98, submitting Vadim Zadnipryanyi with an arm-triangle choke in the first round. [21]

Return to UFC

Zalal faced Billy Quarantillo, replacing Gabriel Miranda, on March 23, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 53. [22] He won the bout by a rear-naked choke submission in the second round. [23]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
20 matches14 wins5 losses
By knockout40
By submission70
By decision35
Draws1
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Win14–5–1 Billy Quarantillo Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC on ESPN: Ribas vs. Namajunas March 23, 202421:50 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win13–5–1Vadim ZadnipryanyiSubmission (arm-triangle choke)Sparta Combat League 98August 19, 202313:48 Superior, Colorado, United States
Win12–5–1Jake ChildersTKO (punches)Sparta Combat League: Fight Night 14January 20, 202311:53 Aurora, Colorado, United States
Win11–5–1Edwin ChavezTKO (punches)Sparta Combat League 93November 18, 202213:44 Denver, Colorado, United StatesReturn to Featherweight.
Draw10–5–1Da'Mon BlackshearDraw (majority) UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Cruz August 13, 202235:00 San Diego, California, United StatesBantamweight debut.
Loss10–5 Sean Woodson Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai June 5, 202135:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss10–4 Choi Seung-woo Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov February 6, 202135:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss10–3 Ilia Topuria Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen October 11, 202035:00 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Win10–2Peter BarrettDecision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik August 8, 202035:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win9–2 Jordan Griffin Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker June 27, 202035:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win8–2 Austin Lingo Decision (unanimous) UFC 247 February 8, 202035:00 Houston, Texas, United States
Win7–2Jaime HernandezKO (flying knee) LFA 79 November 22, 201912:15 Broomfield, Colorado, United StatesCatchweight (140 lb) bout.
Loss6–2Matt JonesDecision (split) LFA 65 May 3, 201935:00 Vail, Colorado, United States
Loss6–1Jose MariscalDecision (unanimous) LFA 57 January 18, 201935:00 Broomfield, Colorado, United States
Win6–0Steven MerrillSubmission (brabo choke) LFA 56 December 7, 201813:22 Prior Lake, Minnesota, United States
Win5–0Daniel SotoSubmission (rear-naked choke) LFA 39 May 4, 201821:38 Vail, Colorado, United States
Win4–0Joey BanksSubmission (armbar)Paramount MMA: ContendersMarch 16, 201831:58 Denver, Colorado, United States
Win3–0Clay WimerSubmission (guillotine choke)Mile High MMAyhemOctober 27, 201722:42 Glendale, Colorado, United StatesReturn to Featherweight.
Win2–0Maurice SalazarTKO (punches) LFA 22 September 8, 201724:41 Broomfield, Colorado, United StatesLightweight debut.
Win1–0Michael SantosSubmission (brabo choke)SCL 61: Bad BloodAugust 19, 201731:38 Denver, Colorado, United StatesFeatherweight debut.

[24]

See also

Related Research Articles

Steven Timothy Peterson is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. Peterson competed in the Featherweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2010, Peterson has also competed for Bellator Fighting Championships and the Legacy Fighting Alliance.

Steve Garcia is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of Ultimate Fighting Championship. Garcia competed in Bellator's bantamweight division.

Andre Soukhamthath is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the Bantamweight division. A professional mixed martial artist from 2011 until 2022, he had competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and CES MMA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khalil Rountree Jr.</span> American mixed martial artist (born 1990)

Khalil Ibn Rountree Jr. is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of December 12, 2023, he is #8 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean O'Malley (fighter)</span> American mixed martial artist (born 1994)

Sean O'Malley is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is the current UFC Bantamweight Champion. As of March 12, 2024, he is #6 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Hernandez</span> American mixed martial arts fighter

Alexander Hernandez is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Michael Charles Trizano is an American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Featherweight division of Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2016, Trizano was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated season 27.

Khalid Taha is a German mixed martial artist currently competing in the bantamweight division. A professional since 2013, he has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Rizin Fighting Federation.

Choi Seung-woo, often anglicized Seung Woo Choi, is a South Korean mixed martial artist (MMA). Choi was the former Top Fighting Championship Featherweight Champion and 2010 Bronze medalist at Muay Thai World Championships. He currently competes in the featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Mario Alberto Bautista is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of April 16, 2024, he is #12 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.

Charles Jourdain is a Canadian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who is currently competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) Featherweight division. He was previously a TKO Major League MMA Double Champion, winning the TKO Featherweight Championship and the TKO Interim Lightweight Championship.

Jordan Griffin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he has competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Legacy Fighting Alliance and King of the Cage. He is the former KOTC, RFO and Dakota FC Featherweight champion.

Julian Erosa is an American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Erosa is also a former CageSport Featherweight and Lightweight Champion.

Movsar Magomedovich Evloev is a Russian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2014, he has also competed at M-1 Global, where he is the former bantamweight champion. As of January 23, 2024, he is #5 in the UFC featherweight rankings.

Billy Quarantillo is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the former King of the Cage Lightweight Champion.

Sean Woodson is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilia Topuria</span> Georgian and Spanish mixed martial artist (born 1997)

Ilia Topuria is a Georgian and Spanish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Featherweight Champion. As of February 20, 2024, he is #5 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

Austin Lingo is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Featherweight division. A professional since 2017, he is most notable for his stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Cruz</span> 2022 mixed martial arts event

UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Cruz was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 13, 2022, at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farid Basharat</span> British mixed martial artist

Farid Basharat is an Afghan-born English mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

References

  1. 1 2 "Youssef Zalal | UFC". UFC.com. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Youssef Zalal is ready for the spotlight". UFC.
  3. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Youssef". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  4. ↑ Nolan King and Mike Bohn (2020-01-29). "UFC 247 adds last-minute bout between newcomers Austin Lingo and Youssef Zalal". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  5. ↑ Shillan, Keith (2020-07-08). "UFC 247 Results: Youssef Zalal earns unanimous decision over fellow newcomer Austin Lingo". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  6. ↑ MMA Fighting (2020-06-19). "Jordan Griffin vs. Youssef Zalal added to June 27 UFC show in Las Vegas". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  7. ↑ Doherty, Dan (2020-06-27). "UFC on ESPN 12 results: Youssef Zalal outworks Jordan Griffin". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
  8. ↑ King, Nolan (2020-07-08). "UFC on ESPN+ 32's Peter Barrett predicts 'ugly, bloody, disgusting, savage' fight vs. Youssef Zalalo". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  9. ↑ Doherty, Dan (2020-08-08). "UFC Vegas 6 Results: Youssef Zalal outclasses Peter Barrett". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
  10. ↑ David Tees (2020-08-17). "Youssef Zalal faces Seungwoo Choi at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen". fightful.com. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
  11. ↑ DNA, MMA (2020-10-02). "Toptalent Ilia Topuria tekent bij de UFC, treft Youssef Zalal op 10 oktober in Abu Dhabi". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  12. ↑ Bitter, Shawn (2020-10-10). "UFC Fight Island 5 Results: Ilia Topuria Stays Undefeated in Debut Win Over Youssef Zalal". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  13. ↑ DNA, MMA (2021-01-28). "BREAKING: Youssef Zalal vervangt Collin Anglin tegen Seung Woo Choi op 6 februari". MMA DNA. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  14. ↑ Evanoff, Josh (2021-02-06). "UFC Vegas 18 Results: After Over a Year Away, Seung Woo Choi Defeats Youssef Zalal". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-02-07.
  15. ↑ Farah Hannoun and Nolan King (2021-03-12). "Youssef Zalal vs. Sean Woodson added to UFC Fight Night on June 5". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  16. ↑ Behunin, Alex (2021-06-05). "UFC Vegas 28 Results: Sean Woodson Back in Win Column with Split Decision Over Zalal". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  17. ↑ "Cristian Quiñonez vs. Youssef Zalal agregado a UFC San Diego - MMA.uno , #1 En noticias de Artes Marciales Mixtas (MMA) en Español". mma.uno (in Spanish). 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2022-07-30.
  18. ↑ Nolan King and Farah Hannoun (2022-08-03). "CFFC bantamweight champ Da'Mon Blackshear signs with UFC, faces Youssef Zalal in San Diego". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  19. ↑ Bitter, Shawn (2022-08-13). "UFC San Diego: Youssef Zalal and Da'Mon Blackshear Fight to Draw". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  20. ↑ Taylor, Christopher (2022-08-25). "The UFC parts ways with four more fighters". | BJPenn.com. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  21. ↑ "Road to redemption: Morocco's Youssef Zalal beats 3 men in single night to earn another UFC crack". Arab News. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  22. ↑ Diego Martinez (2024-03-12). "Billy Quarantillo vs. Youssef Zalal added to UFC Vegas 89". mmaaldia.com. Retrieved 2024-03-16.(in Spanish)
  23. ↑ Dewar, Val (2024-03-24). "UFC Vegas 89: Youssef Zalal Showcases Improvements in UFC Return, Submits Billy Q". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  24. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Youssef". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.