Youssef Zalal, the 30-year-old UFC fighter with an 18-6-1 MMA record, just made the biggest move of his career, announcing his split from longtime gym Factory X. This shocker comes after his impressive eight-fight winning streak was snapped by Aljamain Sterling in the UFC Fight Night 274 headliner back in April. Zalal went 5-0 in his second run with the UFC before running into the former bantamweight champion, making this decision a huge gamble for a guy who was hitting his stride.
Cutting Ties With A “Father Figure”
This wasn’t some snap decision after a tough loss, even though that Sterling fight was a brutal reality check. Zalal told MMA Junkie that leaving Factory X was “necessary” because of “a few changes” that made things “a lot crazier on my side.” He’s still figuring out “100 percent” what’s next, but one thing is clear: he is definitely no longer fighting out of Factory X. This is massive, especially when you consider his relationship with coach Marc Montoya. Zalal described Montoya as “nothing but a father figure and obviously a mentor for all my life, to be honest,” someone who has been with him his “whole professional career.” Montoya will probably be there when he fights, but he won’t be in the corner. Zalal explained that he “grew in the program,” but now, at his current level, he needs “growth , the micro-growths,” not just the regular classes. He pinpointed a “lack of training partners” and coaches “doing their own thing” as key reasons, alongside some “personal reasons,” for needing to change things up.
The New Path And Sterling Loss Fallout
So, what’s next for Zalal? He has already spent some time training with top coach Trevor Wittman and UFC lightweight Fares Ziam, an environment he is “looking at” right now. This is a huge signal that he is chasing that “next part” in his career, the specific attention into aspects like striking he feels he needs. The loss to Aljamain Sterling, despite breaking his streak, seems to have fueled this fire rather than extinguished it. Zalal doesn’t make excuses, but he admitted the timing was rough: “two weeks of Ramadan, hard training in the night, and then jam everything in three weeks to go fight , and it kind of showed in the fight.” He felt “pretty tired” and experienced “muscle fatigue” in the later rounds. But his biggest takeaway? Even with that less-than-ideal prep, he still got to compete against a “top four” guy in the world. He knows he is “not that far” from the elite, and this move is all about closing that gap.
What Zalal does next with Wittman, and where he lands, will define this next chapter. Can he find those “micro-growths” he craves and break into the very top tier? Every fight from here on out is going to be under a microscope, with the entire UFC world watching to see if this bold, personal bet pays off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply