Top 10 UFC contender has trained with Justin Gaethje’s coach after leaving prominent MMA gym

After having his eight-fight winning streak ended, Youssef Zalal has opted for a change.

‘The Moroccan Devil’ is ranked inside the top 10 of the Meta UFC featherweight rankings, a position he earned with a 5-0 run after starting his second stint in the promotion.

Zalal submitted Josh Emmett at UFC 320 last October to put his name in the title mix. He was rewarded with a first main event on MMA’s biggest stage, but Aljamain Sterling snapped his winning streak this past April.

When the 30-year-old returns, he will do so with a new team in his corner, and it could include the man who has guided Justin Gaethje to consecutive title wins in 2026.

Zalal was a longtime Factory X standout, having trained under the tutelage of the renowned Marc Montoya in Colorado.

That is also the location of Trevor Wittman’s facility, where the likes of Gaethje, Kamaru Usman, and Rose Namajunas have all trained in recent times.

It’s been a successful year for Wittman, as Gaethje’s undisputed title win over Ilia Topuria came six months after he had also become the first man to beat Paddy Pimblett in the UFC.

Zalal wants in on that success and has done some training with Wittman alongside UFC Paris star Fares Ziam. During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, ‘The Moroccan Devil’ explained his decision to leave Factory X.

“I had a few changes happen, so it’s a lot crazier on my side,” Zalal said. “I’m still trying to figure it out 100 percent. I’m definitely no longer fighting out of Factory X.

“Marc Montoya has been nothing but a father figure and obviously a mentor for all my life, to be honest. He’s been with me my whole professional career. When I fight, he’ll probably be there, but not in the corner.

“I grew in the program, and that kind of changed, and where I’m at in my level, I still need growth – the micro-growths. That’s where we’re at: (I) made the decision to do that,” he added.

“I’m in a part of my career where I need a lot of attention into some aspects of the fighting, like striking or this or that, not just the regular classes. That’s one of the reasons of the decision – and also personal reasons. But that’s why I think the thing happened.”

Zalal will now be focused on selecting his permanent training home ahead of his attempt to make a quick return to winning ways.

In-between UFC fights, the 30-year-old recently ventured to the grappling realm. Zalal lost to Zabit Magomedsharipov in a bout at ACBJJ 22 that marked the former MMA star’s first competitive appearance since 2019.