Tag: Youssef Zalal

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.

UFC on ESPN 53 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Main event combines for $22,000

UFC on ESPN 53 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 53 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $148,000.

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

The full UFC on ESPN 53 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Karl Williams[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]AJ Dobson[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Payton Talbott[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Cameron Saaiman[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Fernando Padilla[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Luis Pajuelo[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Trey Ogden[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Kurt Holobaugh[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Miles Johns[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jarno Errens[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Steven Nguyen[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Dariya Zheleznyakova[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Montserrat Rendon[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Andre Lima[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Igor Severino[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Mick Parkin[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag]: $4,500

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 $4,530; 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 $53,000 while title challengers get $53,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-53 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $1,669,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $24,406,500

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

UFC on ESPN 53 video: Hear from each winner, guest fighters backstage

Check out what the UFC on ESPN 53 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.

LAS VEGAS – UFC on ESPN 53 took place Saturday with 13 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 53 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

UFC on ESPN 53 video: Youssef Zalal thrives in octagon return, becomes first to tap Billy Quarantillo

After his first octagon run ended in a four-fight winless skid, Youssef Zalal returned with a statement performance at UFC on ESPN 53.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] promised a better version of himself for his second stint under the UFC banner, and things got off to a promising start Saturday at UFC on ESPN 53 when he submitted [autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag].

Zalal (14-5-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) saw his first run with the company end in August 2022 on a four-fight winless skid. He worked his way back, then thrived with the new opportunity when he threatened Quarantillo repeatedly with submissions until he finally locked in a rear-naked choke that got the tap at the 1:50 mark of Round 2 at the UFC Apex.

Check out the replay of Zalal’s handiwork below (via X):

Zalal, 27, was overcome with joy in the aftermath of becoming the first person to submit Quarantillo in MMA competition. He has big plans moving forward, and intends to live up to the career goals he set for himself from the outset.

“I’m really too good,” Zalal said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “The first time I was in the UFC, I told you guys I would be a world champion and will be a world champion. I just didn’t have the confidence.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 53 results include:

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

The difference 23 hours can make: Youssef Zalal details the road back to UFC

After nearly two years outside the UFC, Youssef Zalal is back. The 23 hours leading up to his recent offer were a rollercoaster.

[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] packed his bags at the host hotel where he was lodged with a couple dozen other UFC hopefuls.

What a disappointment. After thinking he was on the verge of a second chance, he was back in the pool of bodies with uncertain futures.

Less than 24 hours after the “TUF 32” producer knocked on his door to inform him he was in the last batch of cuts, Zalal (13-5-1 MMA, 3-3-1 UFC) received a phone call that picked up his spirits once again. What a rollercoaster.

Zalal now calls his UFC departure the ‘best thing’ that ever happened to him, though he probably didn’t realize it until his manager Jason House notified him the promotion wanted him – directly. No reality show. No Dana White’s Contender Series. Just a straight-entry short-notice fight vs. Billy Quarantillo (18-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC).

“It’s super weird,” Zalal recently told MMA Junkie. “I was actually excited when I got the show, right? I was like, ‘It’s going to be good for my brand. People get to really know who I am, how I actually act, and all this stuff.’ Because you can tell. People will get irritated. So I was kind of excited about that, right? But a lot of people don’t know that the producer walked up to my room three days before they send us into the house and he’s like, ‘Hey, you didn’t make the final cut.’ I was like heartbroken and have all this stuff going on in my head. Then, 23 hours later, they call me and are like, ‘Yeah, you’re in the UFC.’ So yeah, we’re good now.”

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It’s unusual enough for a fighter to make it to the UFC once, never mind twice. Zalal, 27, did not renew with the promotion after an August 2022 draw. He then went 3-0 in MMA, 1-0 in boxing, and 1-0 in kickboxing prior to his re-signing.

During his time back on the regional scene, Zalal learned three key lessons he plans to carry with him throughout his second UFC stint.

“It’s 100 percent the best thing that happened to me. No. 1, it was like, do I really love this sport? That was the answer that I found. I really love this sport no matter what the money is. That was the No. 1 thing I found,” Zalal said.

“No. 2, I really saw how everybody acts and myself acts. I was not trying to embarrass myself in fights. That’s how I was fighting. I was not fighting my fighting style. I was not fighting who I am. I was just like, ‘Oh, yeah, all the losses are close losses. It’s not like anybody walked through me or anything.’ That was kind of the whole energy. I had to learn, ‘OK, go fight your style. Go fight with all the pressure off your back. Go fight all this stuff. If there is pressure, let’s use it in a good way instead of a bad way.’ That was a lot of things I learned from there.

“And No. 3 is maturity. I learned so much. I have so much under my belt now. Experience is the best feature, so I’m happy about that. I can’t wait until phase two. It’s going to be awesome.”

Quarantillo is the perfect opponent to get the ball rolling again, in Zalal’s opinion. With Quarantillo in the middle of a crowded 145-pound division, Zalal sees a lot of upside.

“For sure, man. I think every time Billy fights, they are like, ‘Oh, this is either going to be Fight of the Night or a Performance of the Night.’ That’s what I’ve got in my head for sure,” Zalal said. “It’s either going to be Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night – 100 percent.”

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

20 former UFC fighters who could return to the promotion in 2024

Who of these former UFC fighters could get a second chance with the promotion in 2024?

It’s hard to make it to the UFC.

Thousands of professional fighters try every year – and most fail. For a small percentage, however, they sign their names on the dotted line to fight for the biggest MMA promotion in the world.

Sometimes the opportunity comes a bit too soon. Other times, they’re faced with difficult matchups that time proves were bigger challenges than originally anticipated.

When the pink slip comes and a fighter departs the promotion, there is often a phrase they hear on the way out: “Go get a few more wins, and the UFC will consider bringing you back.”

Easier said than done.

For the vast majority, they won’t be back. However, it’s not impossible. A number of fighters have done it over the years. Just look at former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno. He was released from the promotion, built his way back, became a contender, and then won a UFC title.

Current roster members Nicolas Dalby, Dustin Jacoby, Modestas Bukauskas, Kurt Holobaugh, Roosevelt Roberts, and Rhys McKee are among those who have reinforced the possibility.

With the new year upon us, here are 20 former UFC fighters who could return to the promotion in 2024.

Note: Fighters considered for this list had to have competed in at least one UFC bout.

UFC veterans in MMA and boxing action Aug. 18-20

Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC ships up to Boston for UFC 292.

The pay-per-view event at TD Garden features two title fights at the top of the bill: Strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] faces [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] in the co-feature, and bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag].

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA and boxing this week from Aug. 18-20.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

16 former UFC fighters who could return to the promotion in 2023

It’s hard to make it to the UFC once, let alone a second time, but these fighters have a chance in 2023.

It’s hard to make it to the UFC.

Thousands of professional fighters try every year – and most fail. For a small percentage, however, they sign their names on the dotted line to fight for the biggest MMA promotion in the world.

Sometimes the opportunity comes a bit too soon. Other times, they’re faced with difficult matchups that time proves were bigger challenges than originally anticipated.

When the pink slip comes and a fighter departs the promotion, there is often a phrase they hear on the way out: “Go get a few more wins, and the UFC will consider bringing you back.”

Easier said than done.

For the vast majority, they won’t be back. However, it’s not impossible. A number of fighters have done it over the years. Just look at UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno. He was released from the promotion, built his way back, became a contender, and then won a UFC title.

In recent memory, others like Brandon Davis, Jesse Ronson, Nicolas Dalby, Chase Sherman, Sean Soriano, and Dustin Jacoby have reinforced the possibility.

With the new year upon us, here are 16 former UFC fighters who could return to the promotion in 2023.

Note: Fighters considered for this list had to have competed in at least one UFC bout.

UFC veterans in MMA, kickboxing and bareknuckle action Jan. 18-22

Check out which UFC veterans are competing on the regional scene this week.

The UFC is on the verge of its first pay-per-view event of the year in Brazil for UFC 283.

Elsewhere, many other MMA events are taking place that feature familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner as regional promotions are ramping up after the holidays.

These 14 veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA, boxing and bareknuckle this week from Jan. 18-22.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

UFC veterans in MMA, boxing and bareknuckle action Nov. 16-20

Check out which veterans of the UFC are in action this week.

This week, the UFC is heading back to home base at the UFC Apex for a top 15 heavyweight clash following the epic UFC 281 pay-per-view in New York.

In addition to UFC Fight Night 215, there are a number of MMA, boxing, and bareknuckle events taking place that feature familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

These 20 veterans of the global MMA leader are competing in MMA and boxing this week from Nov. 16-20.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.