Youssef Zalal will likely have a UFC ranking next to his name in a few days.
In the biggest fight of his career to date, Zalal (17-5-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) defeated perennial contender Calvin Kattar (23-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) by unanimous decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28) in the UFC Fight Night 251 co-main event Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Zalal was calculated and methodical in his approach. He appeared the quicker fighter as he stifled Kattar with direction changes and dodging head movement.
After two rounds of largely point fighting, Zalal evaded an aggressive Kattar, but offered up almost no offense of any sort. Zalal’s Anderson Silva-esque dipping and ducking did enough to avoid any serious connection by Kattar.
After the final bell sounded, it was clear-cut 29-28 scorecards across the board.
With the win, Zalal, 28, continues his unprecedented run up the UFC’s featherweight ladder since he returned to the promotion less than one year ago. He’s racked up four wins in that time with finishes against Billy Quarantillo, Jarno Errens, and Jack Shore.
Kattar, 36, has now lost four fights in a row. He entered Saturday’s bout on a skid that included defeats to Josh Emmett, Arnold Allen, and Aljamain Sterling. UFC Fight Night 251 training camp was the first he had done at Tristar in Montreal with coach Firas Zahabi.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 251 results include:
- Youssef Zalal def. Calvin Kattar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Edmen Shahbazyan def. Dylan Budka via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:35
- Nazim Sadykhov def. Ismael Bonfim via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
- Andre Petroski def. Rodolfo Vieira via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jose Delgado def. Connor Matthews via knockout (elbows) – Round 1, 2:58
- Angela Hill def. Ketlen Souza via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Rafael Estevam def. Jesus Aguilar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Gabriel Bonfim def. Khaos Williams via technical submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 2, 4:58
- Elijah Smith def. Vince Morales via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Valter Walker def. Don’Tale Mayes via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 1:17
- Jacqueline Cavalcanti def. Julia Avila via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 251.
