Youssef Zalal: New and improving
The Moroccan kickboxer is returning to the UFC this weekend
With Youssef Zalal returning against Jack Shore this weekend, I’ve unlocked this post for everyone. If you dig, consider signing up for a membership to get these when they drop
. When one looks for a film study, they won’t often think of Youssef Zalal. The Moroccan kickboxer saw himself sent from the UFC after an 0-3-1 run that included very close fights with Ilia Topuria, Sean Woodson and Seung Woo Choi. Zalal returned to the UFC this past March on short notice and defeated Billy Quarantillo with a rear naked choke in round two.
New and improved, I want to take a look at that Zalal fight and put a note on some of the good things he did during that fight to get the win.
Discouraging the takedown
It was apparent in the Zalal fight that Billy Quarantillo wanted to take the slick striker down. He made a dedicated effort to close the distance and enter the clinch at several moments. But it was the knees and striking of Youssef Zalal that made the thought of a takedown too high of a risk for Quarantillo.
In a wrestling heavy-meta, MMA fighters have had to find techniques to discourage the takedown and prevent clinch situations in the first place. Against Billy Quarantillo, Zalal opened up his attack by establishing a clear line that if Quarantillo crossed, he would be low kicked.
This discouraged Quarantillo from advancing to a clinch situation and forced him to rely on his hands to beat Youssef Zalal. We say it all the time: the best way to stop a technique that you are not proficient in is to avoid the situation and take those weapons away.
Zalal also makes sure to kick from different angles. A hitter out of both southpaw and orthodox, Zalal will often kick out of both stances. He will, however, only kick with his rear leg regardless of stance. But the approach is effective and overloads the opponent’s circuits.
(1) We start out with Zalal in orthodox and Quarantillo in southpaw (note that Billy Quarantillo also switches stances). (2) Zalal starts his attack with a right high kick and (3) brings his right leg from the rear to the front, switching him to southpaw. Notice that Quarantillo also switched and is now in orthodox. Not to be deterred, (4) Zalal throws the left rear low kick into Quarantillo’s lead leg and (5) comes down in orthodox. This time Quarantillo doesn’t switch and (6) Zalal smashes the holy grail, an outside low kick, to Quarantillo’s lead leg.
After an onslaught, at the start of the second round, Youssef Zalal hip feints, as if to kick, and Quarantillo reacts. At this point, Zalal knows he has Quarantillo dead to rights.
In the clinch: Youssef Zalal punishing and areas to improve
In the clinch, Youssef Zalal can hold his own. In his first stint in the UFC, Zalal was controlled through extended periods of the fight against Da’Mon Blackshear, Seung Woo Choi and Ilia Topuria. In his return, we didn’t get an answer to his clinch improvement but this writer believes that that is due to the prevention attacks brought on by Zalal.
When Quarantillo (1) did get Zalal against the fence, Zalal grabbed the overhook and started to control Quarantillo’s left wrist for an escape (2) Zalal shifts his hips and stuffs Billy Q’s hand in and releases the whizzer to (3) push off of Quarantillo and create the space to exit the position.
The overhook to arm drag is a powerful position. To show how powerful an arm drag can be, I want to circle to sumo’s small man, Midorifuji. (1) As Midorifuji is pushing forward, he (2) grabs under the arm of his much-larger opponent, and (3) drag him to the floor for the win.
The overhook/whizzer is an advantageous position that can be used to facilitate and defend against takedowns. Youssef Zalal can also use the whizzer to sprawl from takedown attempts. Let’s see how Ikram Aliskerov did this to Khamzat Chimaev.
Aliskerov allowed Chimaev to (1) get the body lock. In return, Aliskerov grabbed the over and (2) managed to allow Chimaev to keep it as Chimaev tried to drag him down, backwards, over his leg. Getting his hips over Chimaev’s leg, (3) Aliskerov will switch his hips and (4) sprawl for the takedown.
While featherweight isn’t rife with wrestlers, a simple whizzer and sprawl can help Zalal prevent being taken down. While he was effective at not allowing his opponent to get off much damage as he was taken down, avoiding those long stretches of time on bottom will be the difference between rising in the UFC’s rankings and three straight losses and being cut again by the promotion.
Zalal can also attack from the clinch as well, letting a fighter know that should they want to clinch with them, they will not be in there for free. There is none better than Leon Edwards when it comes to this department.
Against Gunnar Nelson, (1) Edwards found himself in the clinch with his opponent. He puts his hand in the way of Nelson’s leg and keeps his hips back for (2) a big knee. Notice his hand still on Nelson’s bicep in this frame. To top things off, Edwards (3) comes over the top with an elbow.
Now Youssef Zalal likes his knees so this isn’t a major adjustment for the “Moroccan Devil.” Let’s look at how he utilized knees and goes on the offensive.
Going on the offensive
When it comes down to things, Youssef Zalal is one who likes to attack. Posessed by the god of war, Zalal is completely in his element when he’s on the offensive. Against Billy Quarantillo, the knees where the second point of attack, following the low kicks.
(1) Always in motion, Zalal is circling to the power hand of Quarantillo. Normally not advised, Zalal is lining up this inevidable knee and (2) plants on his rear foot. (3) As the heavy knee lands home, we can see Quarantillo looking to clinch and trying to lock hi shands. Zalal (4) throws his hips back and pushes off of Quarantillo to create space.
Combining the footwork, stance switching, and knees, Youssef Zalal is dangerous.
Like before, (1) Zalal is circling out to his left in a slightly orthodox stance. Quarantillo is simply following him and (2) Zalal darts in with a jab and (3) follows it up with a right hook. As the right lands, (4) Zalal will bring his back foot forward and will shift his stance to the left. (5) With his feet switched to southpaw and Quarantillo still following, Zalal fires in a knee to the body (6) and takes two huge steps back to deny the clinch.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Zalal also added offensive grappling to his repitore. Check out the sweep he hit on Quarantillo twice.
As mentioned, Zalal loves being on offense. And getting to someone’s back is no different.
In the second round, the final takedown that led to his win, Youssef Zalal (1) steps across Quarantillo and into position. He steps through (2) with his lead leg but to the outside of Quarantillo’s lead leg, not something common in bladed stance matchups. He also grabs the side of Billy Q’s head on the opposite side of his sweeping leg. Finally, he (3) pushes Quarantillo’s head forward and sweeps his leg from under him to get the takedown. It is there that he would find the rear naked choke for his first win back in the UFC.
Youssef Zalal isn’t the most popular fighter. He actually isn’t even close to the best. But he brings a style over that is unique to him. From Morocco, a country rabid for kickboxing, it’s no surprise that Zalal has a more than adequate striking pedigree. With the grappling brought in on his newest stint in the UFC, he could become a major player in the company’s fun featherweight division.