Connect with us

MMA

Youssef Zalal confirms Factory X exit, talks with Trevor Wittman

Published

on

Youssef Zalal confirms Factory X exit, talks with Trevor Wittman
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.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

MMA

Raoni Barcelos’ coach shares medical update after scary UFC Vegas 121 fight ending

Published

on

Raoni Barcelos’ coach shares medical update after scary UFC Vegas 121 fight ending

The UFC Vegas 121 main event clash between Raoni Barcelos and Raul Rosas Jr. ended in scary fashion in the fifth round when the Brazilian bantamweight went unconscious for apparent no reason during a clinch exchange. Barcelos was rushed to the hospital for exams after the bout, and his head coach Davi Ramos shared on social media he is now back to his senses.

The UFC released a statement hours after the incident to confirm Barcelos was transported to a Level 1 trauma center for evaluation and was “stable, alert and responsive, with full movement†after a “CT scan and comprehensive assessment†were conducted.

“Raoni is doing well,†Ramos said in Portuguese on a video posted on social media. “He has all his senses, he's moving his leg, his arm, his hand, he's conscious, he's talking, everything is fine with him. He's undergoing some tests, and pretty soon he'll be here to talk to you guys.â€

“I just wanted to let you know so you can all stay calm,†he continued. “Keep praying for him. He's undergoing all the tests that are standard in a situation like this. He'll have to rest because of what happened, but God willing, everything will be fine. He'll be here with us soon and he'll be talking to you guys. Thank you to everyone who's been sending messages, positive energy, praying and keeping all of us in your prayers.â€

Barcelos was up in all three scorecards going into the final round, including a 10-8 in round four for one of the judges, meaning he was a little over three minutes away from a decision victory. The loss snapped what would be his sixth straight victory in the UFC.

“We had a great fight,†Ramos said. “We practice a sport that we can't predict, unfortunately, but we know for sure that we were doing our best. Raoni is a warrior, a phenomenal fighter, and he showed you that with all the technique he has, all the skill and heart he has. He showed everything about where he wants to go, where we all want to go, with all the work we've been putting in. Congratulations to him, and thank you all for the messages. Keep praying for him, and pretty soon he'll be back here with us to put on another great show.â€

Continue Reading

MMA

‘Amazing fight but scary ending’: Pros react to terrifying Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos fight at UFC Vegas 121

Published

on

‘Amazing fight but scary ending’: Pros react to terrifying Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos fight at UFC Vegas 121

Raoni Barcelos left UFC Vegas 121 on a stretcher in one of the scariest scenes in UFC history.

On Saturday night, Barcelos took on Raul Rosas Jr. in the main event of UFC Vegas 121. It was Barcelos' first UFC main event, and it was going extremely well for him, with Barcelos up on all three judges' scorecards heading into the fifth round. But then, disaster struck.

In the fifth round, Rosas complete a takedown on Barcelos against the fence, and then after posturing up and landing a shot, Rosas stepped off the unmoving Barcelos, securing a KO win. Barcelos was immediately seen to by medical officials but remained on the ground for a long time, with the production team not even showing him. Even after multiple replays, it's still unclear exactly what happened to Barcelos, who was stretchered out of the APEX and the MMA community has him in their thoughts, reacting to the terrifying scene.

Continue Reading

MMA

UFC Vegas 121 video: Raul Rosas Jr. wins main event after Raoni Barcelos goes unconscious in scary fifth-round moment

Published

on

UFC Vegas 121 video: Raul Rosas Jr. wins main event after Raoni Barcelos goes unconscious in scary fifth-round moment

The UFC Vegas 121 main event was one of the best fights of the year, but ended in scary fashion.

Raul Rosas Jr. and Raoni Barcelos competed in their first UFC headliners on Saturday at the Meta APEX. After four wild rounds, the fifth round is when the fight stopped after Rosas landed a takedown, and Barcelos went unconscious and limp.

Check out the way the fight ended below.

The fight was action packed through the first two rounds with Rosas coming out guns blazing early, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at his veteran opponent. Barcelos began to close the cap, and used that momentum in the second round — landing nearly 60 significant strikes in the round as Rosas visibly began to slow down.

Round 3 was back and forth with Barcelos getting a nasty foot sweep takedown and dominant back position. Rosas was able to sweep, get top control, and land some good ground and pound. But Barcelos got back up and continued to pile up damage and fatigue numbers on the Rosas side.

In the fourth, it was all Barcelos, delivering a pillar-to-post beating on the feet and on the ground to Rosas, nearly finishing the fight on multiple occasions. But in the fifth, Rosas went for it knowing he needed a finish, then landed the takedown that ended the fight.

With multiple replays, it was hard to see what actually knocked Barcelos out, but he was stretchered out of the APEX.

After the win, Rosas put over Barcelos for his toughness, called for a bonus, and asked for the top-seven opponent.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending