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Youssef Zalal is all set to face Jordan Griffin at UFC on ESPN 12 in a featherweight clash as he steps in as a replacement fighter to Darrick Minner. Zalal made his debut in the UFC at UFC 247 as a short-notice replacement and secured a win. Youssef Zalal stands with a record of 8-2. He is currently 2-2 in his last 4 fights, having bounced back from a two-fight losing streak.
Ahead of his fight this weekend, Zalal expressed great confidence in securing a win, having taken another fight on short notice. The Moroccan also made it clear that he will eventually move down to bantamweight but for a short notice fight, but featherweight was a safe weight class to compete in. In an interview with BJPenn.com, he said:
“I’m so used to it. My whole career has been like this, like I fight then four weeks later I’m fighting again. I’m so used to the short notice and staying ready and being ready. No way in hell I am cutting to 135 in a week. The goal is to still go to bantamweight after. If it is the right matchup and we talk about, I’d do these short notice featherweight fights. But, the goal is to go to bantamweight and make statements down there.”
Youssef Zalal feels the style of his opponent will make this fight intresting
And as far as the fight is concerned, Youssef Zalal is sure it's going to be a good one. Given the size of the cage and the style the two have, he is sure it will make an interesting fight. He was also sure that the fight might not go the distance.
"I feel like it will be all over the place, especially with the smaller cage. It’s going to be a banger. There will be a finish for sure. I don’t think it will go the distance. I want to finish every fight but if it goes the distance, it does.”
Youssef Zalal also said that the fight was a way to pave a path for fighters from his country. The 23-year-old also said that the number of people reaching out to him has made him realize that he has an entire country behind him.
“It is crazy, bro. When you fight sometimes, it’s like this is awesome. But, I have an entire country behind me and I have people messaging me telling me they want to be like me. It makes a difference and it makes me proud. It also is like holy sh*t, I’m representing an entire country.”
