Youssef Zalal went from being cut by the UFC to a ranked featherweight contender. Zalal (17-5-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) kicked off his first UFC tenure 3-0. However, he went on to lose three straight – including a decision to Ilia Topuria, followed by a majority draw that led to his UFC release. During his time away from the octagon, Zalal took part in a one-day competition, which included three combat sports: Boxing, kickboxing, and MMA. Zalal won all three fights and the tournament before getting a short-notice call to make his UFC return. Zalal submitted Billy Quarantillo, Jarno Errens, and Jack Shore before drawing perennial contender Calvin Kattar at UFC Fight Night 251 in February.