Zalal Confirms Factory X Split, Talks With Wittman

Youssef Zalal has parted ways with Factory X after spending most of his professional career at the Colorado gym.

The featherweight contender, who recently notched five straight UFC wins before losing to Aljamain Sterling in April, was spotted training at ONX with Trevor Wittman, the coach behind Justin Gaethje's lightweight title run. MMA Junkie reports that Zalal confirmed the move this week and said he's in active talks with Wittman about joining the program.

Zalal told the outlet he had "situations" with his team that prompted the change. "Marc Montoya has obviously been nothing but a father figure, a mentor, for almost all my life," he said, per MMA Junkie. "As a kid, I've grown in the program and that kind of changed. Where I'm at in my life, I still need growth."

The 28-year-old Moroccan went 3-3-1 in his first UFC stint before being cut in 2022. He returned two years later and reeled off four finishes in five fights, raising his profile before the Sterling loss at UFC 300.

No timeline has been set for Zalal's next bout or a final decision on joining Wittman's camp full-time.