Arbitration stops Zulal's winning streak

After an impressive series of victories in eight consecutive matches, Youssef Zalal, the Moroccan mixed martial arts fighter, was defeated by a referee’s decision, facing American Aljamain Sterling, the former bantamweight champion. This happened during the main fight of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which took place on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Although the Moroccan champion presented some strong moments, especially by directing a punch and surrounding the opponent in a strong manner during the third round; The technical control of the American Sterling over the course of the five rounds and his experience allowed the latter to achieve the best result on the judges’ cards.

During the stages of this highly competitive fight, during which two distinct fighting styles confronted, managing distance and the process of moving to the ring floor were the most prominent keys to achieving victory.

Throughout the five rounds of the fight, Youssef Zalal was able, on many occasions, and thanks to his fighting spirit and defensive preparedness, to neutralize the attempts of his opponent, the former champion, to throw him to the ground.

Despite this defeat, the Moroccan fighter remains one of the most promising names in his category (bantamweight), and is determined to strengthen his presence in the ranks of the global elite, and leave his mark in the Ultimate Martial Arts Championship (UFC).

Youssef Zalal, who arrived in Casablanca in 1996, fought his first major fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after an impressive series of eight victories, especially the last; Last October, he was able to defeat his opponent, Josh Emmett, in just 98 seconds, proving his competence and belonging to the global elite in this sport.

Zalal began his sports career in kickboxing. At the age of fifteen, he moved to the United States, where he was trained as part of the Factory X team in Muay Thai.

In 2017, the professional career of this Moroccan fighter in mixed martial arts began. In 2020, he signed a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was excluded in 2022 after going through a difficult period, before regaining his position in 2024 thanks to his brilliance in an amazing series of victories.