Morocco’s Youssef Zalal confronted a pivotal second in his profession throughout his UFC journey. In 2020, Zalal discovered himself up in opposition to an undefeated power, Ilia Topuria, below difficult circumstances. When Zalal’s unique opponent pulled out simply days earlier than the bout, he needed to shortly adapt.
Youssef Zalal vs. Ilia Topuria
“I’m in Abu Dhabi, I land, and I get a name. They’re like, ‘Yeah, your opponent pulled out,’” Zalal remembers. “I say, ‘What the fck do you imply my opponent pulled out? I’m fcking seven days away from the combat.’” The shock didn’t finish there.
“They’re like, ‘Yeah, however we obtained you this man,’” Zalal continues, “I mentioned, ‘Okay, what’s his document?’ ‘Fcking 8-0 or 9-0 or some sht like that. All finishes, by no means seen a choice.’ And I mentioned, ‘F*cking nice. Thanks. Like, that is superior, 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’m going in and combat this man, and I used to be like, first spherical, they mentioned he’s a grappler,” Zalal defined. “And I used to be like, ‘Okay.’ I didn’t know this f*cker was a Greco-wrestler. That’s the one spotlight 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 resolution victory.
Topuria’s success within the division, culminating in his February 2024 UFC Featherweight Championship win in opposition to Alexander Volkanovski, has solely highlighted the importance of their encounter, as each fighters’ careers have continued to rise.
Zalal’s expertise in opposition to Topuria in 2020 has confirmed invaluable in his growth. The combat could have led to a loss for Zalal, but it surely propelled him in the direction of future success. He’s now on a six-fight win streak together with his most victory being a submission win in opposition to Jack Shore.
