Morocco’s Youssef Zalal confronted a pivotal second in his profession throughout his UFC journey. In 2020, Zalal discovered himself up towards an undefeated power, Ilia Topuria, beneath difficult circumstances. When Zalal’s authentic opponent pulled out simply days earlier than the bout, he needed to rapidly adapt.
Youssef Zalal vs. Ilia Topuria
“I’m in Abu Dhabi, I land, and I get a call. They’re like, ‘Yeah, your opponent pulled out,’” Zalal remembers. “I say, ‘What the fck do you mean my opponent pulled out? I’m fcking seven days away from the fight.’” The shock didn’t finish there.
“They’re like, ‘Yeah, but we got you this guy,’” Zalal continues, “I said, ‘Okay, what’s his record?’ ‘Fcking 8-0 or 9-0 or some sht like that. All finishes, never seen a decision.’ And I said, ‘F*cking great. Thank you. Like, this is awesome, bro.’”
Zalal’s new opponent, Ilia Topuria, was an undefeated juggernaut. The problem of dealing with somebody on such quick discover didn’t deter Zalal. As a substitute, he took the chance in stride.
“I go in and fight this guy, and I was like, first round, they said he’s a grappler,” Zalal defined. “And I was like, ‘Okay.’ I didn’t know this f*cker was a Greco-wrestler. That’s the only highlight you see of him—ever tossing my ass.”
Regardless of the sudden adjustment, Zalal confronted Topuria with resilience, however the combat noticed Ilia Topuria’s grappling energy earn the W. The bout went the total three rounds, with Topuria’s management on the bottom proving an excessive amount of for Zalal to beat, and Topuria secured the unanimous determination victory.
Topuria’s success within the division, culminating in his February 2024 UFC Featherweight Championship win towards Alexander Volkanovski, has solely highlighted the importance of their encounter, as each fighters’ careers have continued to rise.
Zalal’s expertise towards Topuria in 2020 has confirmed invaluable in his growth. The combat could have led to a loss for Zalal, however it propelled him in direction of future success. He’s now on a six-fight win streak together with his most victory being a submission win towards Jack Shore.
