The UFC seldom re-signs fighters once they have been released, but that was not the case for Youssef Zalal. The 16-5 fighter made his UFC debut on February 8, 2020. After winning three consecutive fights, Zalal went on a three-fight losing streak, which led the promotion to remove him from the roster. Well, fast forward to 2025, and Zalal is looking to dance against Calvin Kattar at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ahead of his anticipated clash against Kattar, the MMA community has some questions about Zalal: Where is the fighter from and what is his ethnicity? Well, let’s uncover some deeper info about the fighter ahead of his fight.

Where is Youssef Zalal from?

Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Youssef Zalal’s parents moved to the United States when he was just 15 to seek a better life. Zalal’s mother enrolled him in the kickboxing classes. Despite enrolling in kickboxing classes, Zalal’s mother never wanted him to fight, as she barred him from getting into any trouble due to his skills.

At the start of his MMA career, Zalal competed mainly on the regional circuit in Colorado, amassing a 7-2 record, with the majority of his bouts taking place under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner. Fighting out of Denver, Colorado, ‘The Morrocon Devil’ has amassed a career record of 16 victories and 5 defeats. Well, not much is known about the origin of his parent’s village, however, one thing is certain and that’s the fact that Zalal does love his country as he represents Morocco in UFC.

Well, now that we know about his ethnicity, let’s take a closer look at his background and where he currently lives.

Parents, Nationality, & about on UFC star

Not much is known about his parents since ‘The Moroccan Devil’ likes to keep his family life out of the limelight. However, he uploaded some photos of himself with his family to his Instagram handle. As of 2025, the fighter lives and fights out of Colorado, United States. His upcoming battle would be one of his toughest fights, as Calvin Kattar is not someone that is to be taken lightly.

However, Zalal is not even worried about the fight as according to him he finishes Kattar, “I feel like I match up really well with him, and I think I bring a different IQ than most of these fighters. I really do believe that, and I’m excited to show it on Saturday night.” Sitting on a six-fight win streak with three of those coming since his return to the UFC, Zalal also made a bold prediction that he would finish Kattar, “I will be the first one to finish Calvin Katter. I promise you that.”

What are your thoughts on Youssef Zalal? Will he be able to get past Calvin Kattar, who is riding a three-fight losing streak? Or, will it be a defeat for Zalal? State your thoughts in the comments below.