Featherweights
Youssef Zalal (10-2) vs. Ilia Topuria (8-0)It has gone somewhat under the radar, but Zalal has taken advantage of an increased schedule during this pandemic, as “The Moroccan Devil” now aims for his fourth victory of the year. When Zalal was signed on late notice earlier this year, expectations were not particularly high. He had some obvious talent, but he seemed somewhat overconfident in his own abilities, not showing much regard for his opponents and suffering for it as a result. That has made Zalal’s ensuing success a pleasant surprise, even if he has yet to put together a true signature performance. Zalal still finds himself in more trouble than he should, particularly when he falls into his opponent’s wrestling game. With that said, it is difficult to argue with 45 minutes of solid work in the Octagon for someone who did not seem to be on the UFC radar heading into 2020. For his next challenge, Zalal draws a late replacement and UFC newcomer in Topuria, who is an interesting young gun in his own right. Topuria looks to be a solid wrestler with some submission savvy and a rifle of a right hand, and while that is basically his entire game at the moment, he has been effective in applying it against an admittedly weak slate of competition. Topuria should eventually find his footing in the UFC, but it is just a question for now of what level of opposition is going to be too much too soon. Zalal has the tools to frustrate Topuria as a range striker, but his tendency to clinch with opponents could lead to trouble against what looks to be a much stronger fighter. The pick is for Topuria to slow down Zalal and lean on his wrestling for a decision win.
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