Youssef Zalal feels “f*cking amazing” ahead of a high-profile main event with former bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling in the main event of UFC Vegas 116 this Saturday.
“I can’t wait to go out there and thrive on this opportunity and perform,” the featherweight contender said during Wednesday’s media day promoting the event.
Stirling is the biggest step up to date for Zalal, who has looked stellar on his second stint with the UFC. And he’s worked his way up without the sort of politics and gamesmanship that has become the norm in the fight game.
“I’ve never turned down a fight, I’ve never picked a fight. I’m just like ‘hey.’ The only fight they gave me, to be honest, is the Josh Emmett fight. I asked for Josh Emmett, they gave me Josh Emmett. I asked for Lerone Murphy for the longest, I never got that one. So maybe that one is in the future.”
As far as what he expects from “Aljo,” “I really do believe this fight, I don’t see it going give rounds,” Zalal predicted. “The Moroccan Devil” feels both himself and Stirling bring an “awkward style” to the octagon, “a weird style, especially with his striking, and obviously we all know his grappling as well.”
Zalal is now curious to see how Stirling deals with someone attacking on the grappling front.
Looking back at his younger self in his first UFC run, Zalal feels that patience and purpose has been the difference this time around.
“I feel like the patience, and all that stuff, just to experience that. I feel like young and dumb turns into you being an idiot,” admitted Zalal. “I never had a problem putting hard work in, I never had a problem with being confident. I think the biggest thing we said is purpose. I think once you find purpose in this life, life becomes a lot simpler. Not, I don’t want to say easier, but simpler.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 116 media day appearance by Yousself Zalal above.
