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Youssef Zalal ultimately got his desired next opponent in the UFC featherweight division, but claims it didn’t come without resistance.
Following his win over Calvin Kattar in February, Zalal (17-5-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) called out former interim title challenger Josh Emmett (19-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) for a showdown, which is now official for UFC 320 on Oct. 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
Emmett initially shut down Zalal’s callout and indicated he was looking for something bigger in the 145-pound division. The promotion offered it anyway, and Zalal said that roughly two weeks after he had agreed and signed his end of the bout agreement, the other side finally put pen to paper, as well.
“He’s at a point where he had no choice,” Zalal told MMA Junkie. “He either had to wait a year or so to fight, or fight right now. Obviously, we’ve got a bunch of young guys coming in and a bunch of prospects coming in, and they need to fight, and that’s why I feel he had no choice in a way. It is what it is.”
Zalal, No. 13 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, is 4-0 with three submission wins since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in March 2024.
The 28-year-old has hit his stride with solid performances against increasingly stern competition, and now he can break into the top 10 with a win over No. 7-ranked Emmett.
It will be the first time Zalal has competed on a numbered card since his octagon debut in February 2020, and his first time on the main card. It’s a big moment, and he intends to capitalize on it.
“He’s fought the best,” Zalal said. “Ilia Topuria, Lerone Murphy, and with me going out there and showing out, it gets my name up there, it gives me an opportunity to fight one more, two more and fight for the belt. Look at Lerone. He had a five-round fight with Josh Emmett and everyone was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s boring.’ But you’ve got to give the respect to Lerone. He stuck to the game plan, got the win, moved up and look at him now.
“This is my first time (on a pay-per-view main card). This is an opportunity and I can’t wait to perform. And I will perform, I promise you that for all the fans and everybody.”
