Preview: UFC on ESPN 61 Prelims

Featherweights

Youssef Zalal (14-5-1, 4-3-1 UFC) vs. Jarno Errens (14-5-1, 1-2 UFC)

ODDS: Zalal (-395), Errens (+310)

If Zalal’s return fight was any indication, his second stint in the UFC figures to go much better than the first. Zalal was signed on late notice early in 2020 and kicked off his UFC campaign with three straight wins—an impressive start for a fighter who didn’t look particularly ready for the big time. Zalal’s winning streak came against the lower reaches of the featherweight roster, but he showed enough in terms of well-rounded skill to suggest that he’d continue hanging around the promotion once things started to plateau. Instead, Zalal suffered three losses in his next three fights and then left the UFC on a draw, though those defeats came against a surprisingly strong level of competition in retrospect. Current featherweight champ Ilia Topuria made his UFC debut by ending Zalal’s winning streak, and fighters like Sean Woodson and Da’Mon Blackshear have each hit another gear upon facing him. After crushing some overmatched regional competition, Zalal got the late-notice call for his UFC comeback in March and looked absolutely excellent in taking apart Billy Quarantillo. His striking was both sharp and powerful against a historically durable featherweight before Zalal closed the show with a second-round submission. Zalal looks to keep that momentum going against Errens, who’s starting to find his footing after recently picking up his first UFC win. Errens is a dynamic and powerful striker who didn’t show the pace or depth of skill to beat William Gomis or Seung Woo Choi, but he got his preferred fight in a slugfest against Steven Nguyen in March that wound up in a decision win. The Dutchman’s size and athleticism might cause some problems for Zalal. However, given how sharp “The Moroccan Devil” looked last time out—and the fact that Zalal’s wrestling should serve as an effective safety valve—this looks like his fight to lose. The pick is Zalal via decision.

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