Brian
Ortega believes some fighters outside the
Ultimate Fighting Championship are among the best in the
world.

The former UFC title challenger has been training with A.J. McKee,
who is set to challenge Rajabali
Shaidullaev for the
Rizin featherweight title and the vacant
Professional Fighters League featherweight title at Super
Rizin 5 on Sept. 5 in Osaka, Japan.

Brian Ortega says elite fighters outside the UFC can humble its
roster

McKee and Ortega have been working together in preparation for
their upcoming bouts, with the latter set to return at UFC
331. “T-City†recently lauded the former Bellator
champion's elite skill set and believes that some UFC fighters
would get humbled by fighters from other promotions. According to
Ortega, the UFC doesn't sign some fighters because it understands
the threat they pose.

“The UFC is just a marketing machine,†Ortega said on Anatomy of a
Fighter. “There [are] people outside [the UFC] that would whoop us,
and they know it. They are not inviting them. There are people who
dedicate their lives to this and you see it. There's no faking
technique and skill; the heart and even the mindset… I know [McKee]
knows what he is doing and he is at the highest level.â€

Ortega (16-5) will look to rebound from two losses when he runs it
back with Renato
“Money†Moicano (21-7) at UFC
331 on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Meanwhile,
McKee (25-2) is on a three-fight winning streak going into his
clash against the undefeated Shaidullev (19-0), who has a 100%
finishing rate.

Youssef
Zalal has split from his longtime gym, Factory
X.

Zalal has trained at Factory X in Englewood, Colorado, for most of
his professional career. However, “The Moroccan Devil†was recently
seen training at ONX with Trevor Wittman, the longtime coach of

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Justin
Gaethje.

Youssef Zalal explains why he left Factory X and is talking to
Trevor Wittman

Zalal (18-6-1) has since confirmed that he has parted ways with
Factory X. He admits that Factory X head coach Marc Montoya has
been a father figure to him throughout his career. However, Zalal
believes he needs to look elsewhere for further growth at this
stage in his career.

“I had my little situations with my team,†Zalal told MMA Junkie.
“Few changes happened. It's a lot crazier on my side. I'm
definitely no longer fighting from Factory X. Marc Montoya has
obviously been nothing but a father figure, a mentor, for almost
all my life… 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… Trevor is
the guy I'm talking to right now.â€

Zalal's forgettable first UFC stint ended in 2022 with a 3-3-1
record. He returned to the UFC in 2024 and went undefeated in five
straight outings, with four finishes, before losing to Aljamain
Sterling this past April.

Youssef
Zalal announces his departure from Factory X and says he is in
talks with Trevor Wittman 👀

How do you think “The Moroccan Devil†would perform under Trevor
Wittman?

(via @Farah_Hannoun)
pic.twitter.com/S402yCHNKe

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie)
September 6, 2026

Valter
Walker doesn’t like Jailton
Almeida’s chances at
ACA 207.

Almeida will return to mixed martial arts on Sept. 12 in Krasnodar,
Russia, where he is scheduled to face former ACA heavyweight
champion Evgeniy
Goncharov. Valter
Walker, who trains with Goncharov, believes “Malhadinho” is in
for a rude awakening.

Evgeniy Goncharov's size and wrestling have Valter Walker
doubting Jailton Almeida at ACA 207

Walker recently shared his assessment of the matchup with Brazilian
journalist Laerte Viana, saying that Goncharov's size and wrestling
make him particularly difficult to handle in training. As such, he
questions Almeida's chances of getting takedowns, his primary route
to victory.

“I did three rounds with him yesterday. The guy is 40 years old and
weighs 130 kilograms [286 pounds], completely lean,†Walker said.
“I had a perfect entry on his leg, but he defended the take down
like a wall. Malhadinho stands out in the UFC by taking people
down, but how are you going to take down these 130-kilogram Chechen
wrestlers? I think they set a trap for Malhadinho, so he leaves
here traumatized and never wants to fight in Russia again.â€

Almeida exited the
Ultimate Fighting Championship after back-to-back losses and
looks to return to winning ways against Goncharov. Walker has since
risen as the top Brazilian heavyweight on the UFC roster, having
submitted his last five opponents.