Youssef Zalal was hit with the first major setback of his second octagon stint Saturday when he fell short against Aljamain Sterling in the UFC Fight Night 274 main event.
The stage was set for Zalal (18-6-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) to break through in his first headlining opportunity against a former champion at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Sterling (26-5 MMA, 18-5 UFC) had other plans, however, and used his high-level grappling to win by unanimous decision.
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After putting together five straight victories since returning to the UFC in February 2024, Zalal sees his momentum derailed and his name pushed well down the queue of featherweight contenders. At 29, he still has plenty of time to bounce back, but it’s going to take some work.
Despite this not being his most entertaining effort, Zalal still has a pretty solid track record of excitement and is a good matchup for anyone in the top 15 of the division. The winner of the UFC Fight Night 276 main event May 16 between Arnold Allen (20-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and Melquizael Costa (27-7 MMA, 7-2 UFC) would be a fitting foe and give Zalal his chance to bounce back.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 116 matchmaker: Who’s next for Youssef Zalal after loss?
