Youssef Zalal

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). As of March 10, 2026, he is #7 in the UFC featherweight rankings.

Zalal grew up fighting other kids on the streets of Morocco. To help control his anger, his mother enrolled him in kickboxing at the age of 10. He moved to the United States at age 15.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Zalal faced Jarno Errens on August 10, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 61. He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round. This fight earned him a Performance of the Night award.

Zalal faced Jack Shore on November 2, 2024 at UFC Fight Night 246. He won the fight via an arm-triangle choke in the second round. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.

Zalal faced Calvin Kattar on February 15, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 251. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Zalal faced former interim UFC Featherweight Championship challenger Josh Emmett on October 4, 2025 at UFC 320. He won the fight via an armbar submission in the first round.

Zalal faced former UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling on April 25, 2026 at UFC Fight Night 274. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Jarno Errens and Jack Shore
  • Tied (Daniel Pineda, Chas Skelly, Makwan Amirkhani & Brian Ortega) for second most submissions in UFC Featherweight division history (4)
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2020: Ranked #7 Newcomer of the Year
• Sherdog
  • 2024 Comeback Fighter of the Year
• MMA Fighting
  • 2024 Third Team MMA All-Star

• List of current UFC fighters

• List of male mixed martial artists

• Professional MMA record for Youssef Zalal from Sherdog

• Youssef Zalal at UFC