Tag: Youssef Zalal

Youssef Zalal sets goal to headline a UFC event in 2025: ‘I’m on the path of doing that’

UFC featherweight prospect Youssef Zalal wants to headline a UFC card in 2025.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – UFC event headliner. That’s a label [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] wants to have by the end of 2025.

The rising UFC featherweight prospect has had a stellar return to the promotion. Zalal (16-5-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) returned earlier this year after being cut in 2022 and has picked up three consecutive submission wins in the octagon, including Saturday at UFC Fight Night 246.

Zalal was not only confident he was going to put away Jack Shore (17-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), but that he was also going to kill it in his return to the UFC.

“This is what I expected,” Zalal told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 246 post-fight press conference. “This is the pressure that I put on myself. I feel like before, I was just like, ‘Oh I just want to win,’ and I tell this to my coaches and team and young, upcoming guys: ‘Winning is cool, but performing is better.’ This is the difference between being good and being elite.'”

For Zalal, the next step goes beyond getting a good name for his next outing. He’s also like to compete in the main event of a UFC card.

“I’ve been calling all these guys out,” Zalal said. “I called (out Edson) Barboza. I called Alex Caceres. I called all those guys. My goal is to headline a card in 2025, and I’m on the path of doing that. I’ll keep doing what I need to do to earn that spot, and my time will come.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

UFC Fight Night 246 post-event facts: Edmonton return produces third-longest card in UFC history

Check out all the facts from UFC Fight Night 246, which was the third-longest event in UFC history in terms of fight time.

UFC Fight Night 246 on Saturday opened the promotion’s November event schedule with a 13-fight lineup that went down at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In the main event, former flyweight champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (22-8-2 MMA, 10-4-2 UFC) returned from a self-imposed hiatus with force to batter and bloody [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for five rounds en route to a unanimous decision.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 246.

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $196,500.

[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag], [autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag], [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag], [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]. earned $50,000 UFC Fight Night 246 fight-night bonuses.

UFC Fight Night 246 had an announced attendance of 16,439 for a live gate of $2,600,463.

Betting favorites went 11-2 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 27-10 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 3:06:38.

The 3:06:38 of total fight time marked the third-longest event in UFC history behind UFC 263 (3:19:32) and UFC 251 (3:07:27).

Moreno improved to 7-3-2 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2019.

Moreno’s 10 victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Demetrious Johnson (13), Joseph Benavidez (13) and Alexandre Pantoja (12).

Moreno has earned four of his 10 UFC victories by decision.

Albazi has suffered both of his career losses by decision.

Albazi has completed at least one takedown against all six of his UFC opponents.

[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has earned four of her seven UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) fell to 2-2 since she moved up to the women’s flyweight division in September 2023.

Namajunas has suffered five of her seven career losses by decision.

[autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.

[autotag]Caio Machado[/autotag] (8-4-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC) was unsuccessful in his light heavyweight debut.

Machado has suffered all four of his career losses by decision.

[autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has earned both of her UFC stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Ariane da Silva[/autotag] (17-10 MMA, 6-7 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of her career.

[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 2-6 UFC) has earned two of his three UFC victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] (11-2-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.

[autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag] (16-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC) fell to 2-4 since he dropped to the welterweight division in January 2022.

Giles suffered the first decision loss of his career.

[autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag]’s (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Merab Dvalishvili (10) and Mario Bautista (seven).

Zahabi has earned four of his six UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] (20-10 MMA, 10-10 UFC) fell to 1-5 with one no contest in his past seven fights dating back to August 2021.

Munhoz has suffered all 10 of his career losses by decision.

[autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag] (16-8-1 MMA, 7-7-1 UFC) was successful in his UFC bantamweight debut.

Jourdain has earned 14 of his 16 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered his first stoppage loss with a submission defeat.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) improved to 3-0 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in March 2024.

Zalal has earned 13 of his 16 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) fell to 1-2 since he moved up to the featherweight division in March 2023.

Shore has suffered all three of his career losses by stoppage.

Shore has suffered two of his three career losses by submission.

[autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag] (13-8 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has suffered two of his three UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Jamey-Lyn Horth[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned both of her UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered both of her career losses by decision.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.

UFC Fight Night 246 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2024 total passes $7 million

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out more than $7 million to athletes in 2024.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 246 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $196,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 246 took place at Rogers Place. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 246 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Amir Albazi[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Caio Machado[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jasmine Jasudavicius[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ariane da Silva[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Aiemann Zahabi[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Victor Henry[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Serhiy Sidey[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Garrett Armfield[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Jamey-Lyn Horth[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2461 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $7,092,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,829,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

UFC Fight Night 246 video: Youssef Zalal cracks Jack Shore with knee, taps him with choke

Youssef Zalal’s second UFC stint has been glorious as he moves to 3-0 with three submissions since returning to the promotion in March.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] continues to prove himself reinvented.

On the UFC Fight Night 246 prelims Saturday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Zalal (16-5-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) won his third fight since being brought back to the promotion for a second stint. It was arguably his biggest and best performance to date as he submitted [autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) by arm-triangle choke at 0:59 of Round 2.

Prior to the submission sequence, Zalal blasted Shore with a massive standing knee that floored the Welshman to the canvas. Shore recovered but ultimately became a victim of some slick jiu-jitsu from the Moroccan.

Zalal went 3-3-1 over seven fights prior to his UFC departure in 2022. After three MMA wins and a total of five combat sports victories on the regional scene, Zalal was brought back on short notice in March to fight Billy Quarantillo, who he submitted. He then tapped Jarno Errens in August. Saturday made it 3-0 in the UFC with three submissions.

After a 16-0 start to his pro MMA career, Shore has lost three of his most recent four outings and two fights in a row.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 246 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Youssef Zalal def. Jack Shore at UFC Edmonton: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Youssef Zalal’s second-round submission win over Jack Shore at UFC Fight Night 246.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]’s second-round submission win over [autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photos by Perry Nelson, USA TODAY Sports; MMA Junkie; UFC)

UFC on ESPN 61 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Event yields second-lowest total of 2024

UFC on ESPN 61 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 61 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $128,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 61 took place at the UFC Apex. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 61 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Chepe Mariscal[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Danny Barlow[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nikolay Veretennikov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Chris Gutierrez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Quang Le[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Yana Santos[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Chelsea Chandler[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Toshiomi Kazama[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Charalampos Grigoriou[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jhonata Diniz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Karl Williams[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jarno Errens[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Stephanie Luciano[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Talita Alencar[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,610; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $32,000 while title challengers get $42,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-61 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,914,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $27,651,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 61.

UFC on ESPN 61 video: Hear from each winner, guest fighters backstage

Check out what the UFC on ESPN 61 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 61 took place Saturday with 10 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

You can hear from all the UFC on ESPN 61 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 61.

UFC on ESPN 61 video: Youssef Zalal snatches another neck, taps Jarno Errens standing

Youssef Zalal remains unbeaten in his second UFC stint.

The second UFC stint continues to bode well for [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag].

Saturday at UFC on ESPN 61, Zalal (15-5-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) moved to 2-0 since returning to the promotion, as he submitted [autotag]Jarno Errens[/autotag] with a standing rear-naked choke at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The stoppage came at 3:52 of Round 1.

Zalal went 3-3-1 during his first UFC stint that began in 2020. Following his departure in 2022, Zalal went 3-0 on the regional scene. He was selected as an alternate for “The Ultimate Fighter 32,” but ultimately was signed directly to the promotion for a short-notice fight vs. Billy Quarantillo in March. Zalal won by second-round rear-naked choke.

In defeat, Errens falls back into the loss column after a Fight of the Night win over Steven Nguyen in March.

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Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 61 results

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 61.

Youssef Zalal sees ‘problem’ Ilia Topuria beating Max Holloway

Youssef Zalal knows how good UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria is.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] knows how good UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] is.

Zalal (14-5-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) welcomed Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) to the UFC in October 2020, when his original opponent Seung Woo Choi was forced to withdraw. Zalal was able to take Topuria the distance, but was ultimately outgrappled in a unanimous decision loss. The setback snapped his four-fight winning streak.

However, Zalal’s loss aged well. Topuria went onto notch five straight wins before knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 to claim the featherweight title. Topuria is expected to make his first title defense against Max Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC), who’s confidence is sky high after an iconic knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.

Despite Holloway’s momentum, Zalal sees Topuria retaining his title.

“I just got asked this yesterday. I love Max Holloway and I think they said Max Holloway vs. Ilia – I think Ilia’s going to be a problem,” Zalal told MMA Junkie Radio. “I see him being still the champ next year, 100 percent.”

Zalal’s loss to Topuria was followed by two more losses then a majority draw, which lead to his UFC departure. However three-straight finishes on the regional scene got him the call back to the octagon. He submitted Billy Quarantillo in March, and is now booked to face Jarno Errens Aug. 10 at UFC Fight Night 242.

So what clicked for 27-year-old Zalal in his career turnaround?

“A lot of things, but mostly is the experience and doing what I love,” Zalal said. “I feel like sometimes we go into life and we don’t appreciate the things that we do, and I’m very bad at that sometimes. I feel like I’m not patient. I want everything. I want to do this, I want to do that. That’s why in my early UFC career, I was fighting all the time, nonstop.

“For me, there was no patience. Taking risks that you’re not even – like why do you even need to take that risk? Obviously, it’s who I am, just really focusing on enjoying life and really being in the moment and experiencing that journey. That’s the one thing that clicked for me and changed is I know what I love to do, and I know what I want to do.”

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Youssef Zalal ecstatic over submission win in UFC return: ‘I am one of the best in the world’

Youssef Zalal reflects on his return win to the UFC at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 53.

LAS VEGAS – You don’t often see it, but [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] is one of the few fighters that was able to work his way back in the UFC and return successfully.

After being cut from the promotion in 2022, Zalal (14-5-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) returned to the octagon this Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 53 at the UFC Apex. And after going on a three-fight wining streak outside the UFC, Zalal put on a clinic against Billy Quarantillo and submitted him in the second round of their featherweight contest.

It was a big moment for Zalal, as he feels he proved to himself he belongs in the best MMA organization.

“I feel like this is just to prove to myself that I am one of the best in the world,” Zalal said at the UFC on ESPN 53 post-fight press conference. “For me, this is a whole different experience. I feel like we go in life in little bits of experience, and you always remember, ‘Man, I remember this. I remember when my kid was born.’ I think this is one of them.

“This is an experience I get to tell people about. ‘Man, everybody doubted you. You will never make it again,’ and then to come back and finish a guy that’s never been finished by submission. It feels really good.”

Zalal first joined the UFC in 2020 and had a start of 3-0 before losing three consecutive bouts and then tying another. It was that four-fight winless run that triggered his exit from the UFC. Those four fights were also in just 10 months.

Moving forward, Zalal wants to pump the brakes on his activity in the octagon and be a little smarter with his career management.

“Last time I was in the UFC, I fought five times in one year, so I’m going to slow my ass down a little bit and really take my time with it,” Zalal said. “I’m going to talk to my management and see what I need to do, but I just made the No. 19 look easy, and he had just fought the No. 14, so I don’t know if (Edson) Barboza is still 14. So whoever they give me, I really don’t care. I know I’ve got a great management team, and they’re going to upscale my career.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.