Youssef Zalal Is Bringing The Energy

It doesn’t take long to like Youssef Zalal. The 145-pound prospect has a good energy, is quick with a laugh, and generally sounds enthused about the prospect of spending a few Saturday nights a year getting into a fistfight.

But for all the positive vibes he brings, when he returned to the UFC in March, after nearly two years on the regional circuit, there was a little bit of an edge, and a heavyweight-sized chip on this featherweight’s shoulder.

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“I have a chip on my shoulder because I want to go perform,” said Zalal, who submitted Billy Quarantillo in his first trip to the Octagon since 2022. “I'm putting the pressure on myself to go perform and I know…