Youssef Zalal rates Calvin Kattar’s last performance vs. Aljamain Sterling

Youssef Zalal credits opponent Calvin Kattar after a lopsided loss to former UFC Champ Aljamain Sterling.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Calvin Kattar could be a tailor-made matchup for submission artist Youssef Zalal.

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Kattar's Next Test vs. Youssef Zalal

In MMA, they often say you're only as good as your last fight— hopefully that's not the case for Kattar, the featherweight contender returning this weekend in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 102. Kattar fights Zalal, attempting to rebound from three losses in a row.

KATTAR vs ZALAL! #UFCVegas102 is LIVE TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus! pic.twitter.com/MwiQs2EZ5V

— danawhite (@danawhite) February 14, 2025

This is Kattar's second fight in 27 months, his career put on pause due to an ACL tear in 2022. Former Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling would welcome back Kattar at UFC 300 last April, absolutely dominating the ranked fighter for three rounds straight.

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Primarily a boxer, Kattar could not fend off all 13 takedown attempts from Sterling, allowing 8 TD's and more than 10 minutes of control time on the ground. It wasn't a good night for Kattar, getting 'power bomb' slammed on his head en route to a unanimous decision loss.

Kattar faces a similar stylistic matchup in Zalal on Saturday, the submission artist boasting four-straight chokes, three of those in the UFC. Zalal last fought Jack Shore in November, retiring Shore with an arm-triangle choke.

Youssef Zalal has scored three-straight submissions since he rejoined the UFC. / Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Zalal Talks Kattar's Last Fight At UFC 300

Having some momentum and Kattar, his back towards the wall at UFC Vegas 102, Zalal says he isn't taking the perennial contender lightly because of how he looked his last time out.

"I feel like a lot of people are not giving him the credit. You gotta see who he went with. That's Aljamain Sterling," Zalal told MMA Knockout.

"Like if you watch Sterling's last fight vs. Movsar [Evloev], which is probably one of the best grapplers in that division or probably the best grappler in that division, to go in there and grapple like that and see how high level they are... To do it against Calvin, which he's mostly striking, never like really had to deal with a lot of takedowns and stuff like that."

Aljamain Sterling may his featherweight debut against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

'Aljamain Did Not Wanna Strike With Him...'

In the UFC since 2017, Kattar has mainly fought fellow strikers like Max Holloway and Josh Emmett, not so much heavy grapplers like Sterling and now Youssef Zalal.

"Aljamain did not wanna strike with him and we can tell that," Zalal said of Kattar. "I give him the credit man. It's a super, super tough fight and obviously it was just not his day."

"To go against a grappler like that. It's frustrating, it's annoying. So you really have to be on your guard a little bit, especially with guys like that. You have to have different weapons."

Calvin Kattar will try to snap a three-fight losing streak against Youssef Zalal. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Youssef Zalal on Jack Shore's retirement from the UFC - ‘An honor to share the cage’

One fight in the last two years, we'll see what Calvin Kattar has in the arsenal for a grappler of Youssef Zalal's caliber. Kattar's takedown defense rate before the fight is 72%.

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