A possible changing of the guard in featherweight contenders was set to take place at UFC 320, when Josh Emmett took on Youssef Zalal.
Emmett, 40, was still holding out hopes for a late-career title shot, while Zalal, the much younger fighter, wanted to burst into the top of the weight class.
Zalal stayed outside, looking light on his feet to start the fight. It wasn’t long before the affair hit the mat, with Zalal changing levels and exploding into a takedown. Emmett found himself trapped, unable to escape with Zalal working on a triangle, then an arm-bar. Emmett tried to stack Zalal up, but couldn’t, and all of a sudden, Emmett gave the verbal tap. A huge, huge win for Youssef Zalal, who has won five straight since returning to the UFC in early 2024.
Ranked #9 coming into the fight, Zalal isn’t likely to jump too far up the 145lb rankings given Emmett was only one spot ahead of him. Still, it’s the sort of statement victory “The Moroccan Devil” needed after a lackluster decision victory over Calvin Kattar in his last outing — something Zalal mentioned in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
“I’m too smart for these guys. I’m way too smart. I move too good, I setup things too good,” added Zalal, who called out Lerone Murphy.
Official Result: Youssef Zalal def. Josh Emmett by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 1:38
