YouSEF ZALAL LIKES YAIR RODRIGUEZ, Brian Ortega as Names to Get Him to UFC’s Next Level

Las Vegas – It’s Only Been About 30 MONTHS SINCE YOUSSEF ZALAL WAS BUNCED FROM The UFC After His First Stint, But It Might As Well Have Been A Lifetime Ago.

In Zalal’s First Stint in the Promotion, He Had Three Mosstly Unassuming Decision Wins in a Row, but Three Three Straight Decision Losses – Starting with One to Eventual and Current Featrweight

After a Draw with Da’mon Blackshear in 2022 Left Him Winless in Four Fights, He Had to Work His Way Back to the Big Leagues – and He Did.

Saturday in the UFC Fight Night 251 Co-Main Event at the UFC Apex, Zalal (17-5-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) Won for the Seventh Straight Time, and Four Straight in the UFC Since His Return A Decision Over Calvin Kattar (23-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC).

In a Turnaround, After Six Straight Stoppage Wins on the Heels of Seven Straight Decisions, Zala Had to Settle for A 15-Minnet Grind, Even Thought A Finioned A Finish.

“I Dream Big. I Dream Big, and I Manifest Big, ”Zalal Told Mma Junkie at His Post-Fight News Conference. “I KNOW I MANIFED The FINISH, AND I’M DOWN About That A Little Bit (that I Didn’t Get It). But that doesn’t stop me from dreaming and manifesting, and i’ll keep doing the same Thing. ”

The Names on Zalal’s List Since He Got Back to the UFC Have Been IncreASINGly Solid Oppons Across From Him: Billy Quarantillo, Jarno Errens, Jack Shore And Longhtime. Zalal Thinks He’s Building to Something Big.

In Fact, He Doesn’t Mind Skipping A Trip to A Big Pay-View IF It Means He Can Be the Name on the Top of the Marquee at the UFC’s Apex Base-Level Fight Neight Shows.

He Even Has A Pair of Names He’d Gladly Stand Across From: Former Interim Featherweight Champion Yair Rodriguez or The Man Who Beat Him A Year Ago In Mexico, Brian Ortega.

“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 is Out there look for an OPPONENT, AND I KNOW BRIAN IS TRYING to GO UP to 155. I’M JUST OUT HERE TRYING to HAVE FUN and CHANGE My LIFE. 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,’ and ‘Title this’ and ‘Title That’ – I Just Want To Keep Going. I Want to Kiep Giving Hope to Tese UpcomING GUYS WHO LEAVE THE UFC AND LOSE HOPE. You Never Lose Hope in Life. ”

Check Out Zala’s Full Post-Fight Interview Above.

For more on the Card, Visit Mma Junkie’s Event Hub for UFC Fight Night 251.