“Devil of Morocco” needs a change.
The loss ended Zalal’s impressive run eight-game winning streakwhich contained wins over Josh Emmett and Calvin Cats. It was also Zalal’s first loss since returning to the UFC after a two-year absence.
Now the 30-year-old is about to make the biggest professional change of his career.
Zalal has officially parted ways with Factory X, the Colorado-based gym he joined at just 18 and represented throughout his professional career.
“I’m definitely not going to fight out of X-Factory again,” Zalal said recently MMA Junkie. “But Marc Montoya has been nothing but a father figure and obviously a mentor for almost my whole life, to be honest. He’s been with me my whole pro career. When I fight, he’s probably there, but not in my corner… I grew up in this program as a kid, but things changed. At this level, I still need to grow.”
Despite the timing, Zalal insisted that his loss to Sterling had no bearing on his decision to leave X-Factory. There was also no dramatic falling out with the longtime head coach. Marc Montoyawhom Zalal still considers an important figure in his life.
Instead, Zalal cited personal reasons and the need for a different training environment. Specifically, he wants access to more sparring partners and more individual attention as he tries to develop his striking and sharpen other areas of his game.
Zala already has a potential new coach in mind: Trevor Wittman.
Wittman has helped guide Kamaru Usman, Rose in Namajuna and Justin Gaethje For UFC gold. He also works with a relatively small group of fighters, potentially giving Zalal the one-on-one guidance he believes he needs to reach the next level.
While Zalal hasn’t officially announced that he’s joined Wittman’s team, that seems to be the direction he’s headed.
As for a comeback, Zala is targeting December or early 2027. He doesn’t want to rush back until he finds the right practice situation, settles in with a new team and goes through a full camp under a different coaching structure.
Zala doesn’t seem concerned about who the UFC offers him next, either. Much of the featherweight roster is currently booked or has recently competed, so the division has no obvious opponent for him.
For the first time in his professional career, Zalal is preparing without Factory X as his home base.
It’s an uncomfortable change, but it may be just what the “Devil of Morocco” thinks he needs.