Youssef Zalal didn’t get the finish he wanted, but he secured the biggest win of his career with a unanimous decision victory over Calvin Kattar in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 102.
From the start, Zalal used his jab and footwork to keep Kattar guessing as he danced around the perimeter, landing quick punches on the veteran featherweight. While Kattar did his best to mount a comeback in the final round, it was too little, too late, as Zalal had already done enough to secure the judges’ nod.
Win streak extended to 4 🔥@MoroccanDevil45 is leaving #UFCVegas102 with the unanimous decision victory! pic.twitter.com/2D8XNdXewU
— UFC (@ufc) February 16, 2025
The three judges scored the fight 29-28, marking Zalal’s seventh consecutive win overall and his fourth straight victory in the UFC.
After the win, Zalal stated: “[My team was saying] easy money – my ass, easy money. This was a good performance, but I’m better than this. I want to be a world champion, and I will be. I feel like I fought a legend. It was an honor to share the cage with him.”
Zalal executed a methodical attack, striking Kattar from the outside with sharp jabs and mixing in some powerful leg kicks. Kattar kept pressing forward but struggled to catch Zalal, who constantly stayed on the move.
Though Kattar managed to land a few heavy punches, he couldn’t find consistent openings as Zalal continued to pepper him with fast combinations. As time passed, Zalal grew more confident, tagging Kattar’s face repeatedly while ensuring he didn’t stay in front of him for too long.
With five minutes left, Kattar’s head coach, Firas Zahabi, urged him to increase his output and abandon caution after likely dropping the first two rounds. Kattar responded with more aggression but still couldn’t cut off the cage and trap Zalal long enough to build momentum.
While Zalal wasn’t throwing wild flurries, he landed several of his best shots, including a crisp left-right combination that snapped Kattar’s head back. As the final bell rang, Kattar looked visibly frustrated, unable to catch Zalal, who took a significant step forward in his career with this victory.
Zalal’s dominant performance positions him for a bigger fight in the near future, while Kattar is left searching for answers after suffering his fourth consecutive loss.
