Youssef Zalal Wants to Headline UFC Apex Card Next: 'I Know Where My Level’s At'

It was a big deal for Youssef Zalal to share the Octagon with Calvin Kattar.

So much so that Zalal even needed a little reminder from his coach that he belonged in the cage with the accomplished featherweight before their fight in the UFC Vegas 102 co-main event in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

“I don’t think people realize how much pressure I put on myself in every single fight. I remember coach telling me before I walked out: ‘He’s just a face, remove the name.’ I’m still learning that,” Zalal said at the post-fight press conference. “I’m a fan of this sport, No. 1. Also, sometimes I go in there and forgot that I am that good. I am that exciting, I am that guy.”

Zalal relied on speed and mobility to cruise to a unanimous decision triumph over Kattar in their clash, earning his fourth consecutive UFC triumph — and seventh victory in a row overall. An accurate jab and solid leg kicks were the weapons of choice for “The Moroccan Devil” as he racked up a lead on the scorecards over the first 10 minutes. A late push from Kattar in the final frame wasn’t enough to change the outcome, as he struggled track his opponent down for the majority of the fight.

Despite earning the biggest victory of his career to date, Zalal acknowledged there is still plenty of room for improvement.

“I don’t think people understand. I’m one of the biggest fans of Calvin. When I got the call, the inner child in me lost his s—t. It was an honor just to fight him and be in the same Octagon with him,” Zalal said.

“I know where my level’s at. This is not the best level you’ve seen yet. I’m telling you right now. I’m gonna keep being hard on myself, and I can’t wait to keep proving that to myself.”

The Factory X representative entered Saturday night on a three-fight submission streak in UFC competition. While grappling was initially part of the game plan, Zalal claimed that Kattar was more slippery than a normal opponent.

“This is the crazy part: We worked a lot of grappling, and I sh—t you not, I felt like there’s Vaseline all over his legs,” Zalal said. “I swear to God, he was the most slipperiest guy I’ve ever seen in my life, and I felt like I’m not trying to be that guy with this and that … But man, that was suspicious, bro.

“100% more than normal sweat] Nobody slides like that – that quick. I’ve fought a lot of good guys – Jack Shore and all those guys – and I felt when you’re dry and all that stuff, there’s no way. It is what it is. You can cheat the sport, you can do whatever you want. At the end of the day, I’m doing me and that’s what’s gonna get me to the top.”

Zalal is eager to take the next step in his MMA career, and that means an even bigger stage — and a bigger name — for his next Octagon appearance.

“I told you guys in 2024, I want to headline a card at the [UFC] Apex. Obviously, I want to start slow and get my things going. There are two names. I know Yair [Rodriguez] is out there looking for an opponent, and I know Brian Ortega is trying to go up to 155. I’m just out here trying to have fun and change my life,” Zalal said.

“These are legends. I want to hear them say ‘He’s an ex-champ’ and stuff like this. I want to be in that conversation. ‘He won against an ex champ,’ and ‘Title this’ and ‘Title that’ – I just want to keep the book going. I want to keep giving hope to these upcoming guys who leave the UFC and lose hope. You never lose hope in life.”