Outside Source
Volkanovski is one of the most game UFC champions. “The Great” goes out of his way to call out contenders who could potentially pose a threat to him. The featherweight champion is one of the few fighters to call out contenders like Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy.
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However, surging contender Zalal has seemingly escaped Volkanovski’s notice so far. Zalal is scheduled to headline UFC Fight Night 274 against Aljamain Sterling on April 25 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Zalal notes that Volkanovski has mentioned Sterling multiple times. “The Moroccan Devil” wants to make a statement with a win over Sterling so that Volkanovski is bound to mention his name.
The Chance to Make a Statement
“The one thing that still pisses me off and I can’t wait to prove it, is Volk doesn’t mention my name ever, in any interviews, anything,” Zalal told MMAjunkie.com. “He mentioned Aljamain plenty of times, so I’m excited to go for a statement and really show ‘The Great’ how great I am.”
Zalal (18-5) made his UFC debut in 2020 and started his journey with three straight wins. However, Zalal was released in 2022 after a four-fight winless streak. Zalal racked up three first-round finishes on the regional circuit to earn another shot at the UFC. Zalal started his second UFC stint in 2024, racking up five straight wins with four finishes. The 29-year-old is coming off a submission win over Josh Emmett at UFC 320 last October.
Meanwhile, Sterling (25-5) moved up to featherweight after losing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley in 2023. “Funkmaster’ has since sandwiched a loss against Movsar Evloev between wins over Calvin Kattar and Brian Ortega.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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