Youssef Zalal seizing opportunity as he improves to 2-0 in the UFC
Short notice? No problem for Youssef Zalal! In his second octagon outing, “The Moroccan Devil” put in another winning performance at UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs Hooker.
“Whenever an opportunity comes in, I’ll take it,” Zalal said about the back to back short notice opportunities within the UFC. When Jordan Griffin needed a dance partner for the ESPN televised card, Zalal didn’t hesitate. Knowing he had a full plate in Griffin, Zalal showed the utmost respect for his opponent before and after their bout. “I expected nothing but good things,” Zalal says. “Knew he was a tough guy. I knew he was a vet in this game. I know what he needed to do to beat the upcoming kid!” In a gritty three-round featherweight endeavor, “The Moroccan Devil’s” superior cardio and striking advantage secured him the unanimous decision nod.
‘It was a very interesting fight for me,” Zalal recalls. “I know guys that always be like, that tough going, trying to grind on me but for me, it was like I haven’t had that in a while.” Although not fully satisfied with his performance, Zalal will “try to stay active,” he says. “Win or lose, I’m really trying to do what I love and try to do it as much as possible!”
With plans to move back down to the bantamweight division, he notes that he’ll “definitely need a full camp. Following with “I can not do a short camp.” However, when he gets the full camp needed for 135 pounds, he assures fans can expect “Good things man, good things” he says with an exuberant smile.
Tune in above to hear the full conversation between Youssef “The Moroccan Devil” Zalal and MyMMANews as he touches on his second UFC win, staying active, trash-talking, moving to bantamweight and so much more!
