Fighters on the Rise | UFC 320: Ankalaev vs Pereira 2

In a sport where we want young athletes to be finished products much sooner than is reasonable and rarely allow the ebb and flow of a career to occur without hurrying to change our opinions, Zalal is the perfect embodiment of the reality that it sometimes just takes competitors a little time to figure things out and get their ducks in a row before they can start fighting up to their true potential. 

UFC 320 FULL FIGHTS: Ankalaev vs Pereira 1 | Pereira vs Hill | Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2 | Sandhagen vs Figueiredo 

“The Moroccan Devil” posted three wins in seven months when he first touched down in the UFC several years ago, instantly earning recognition as one to watch in the featherweight ranks. A loss to the debuting Ilia Topuria halted his ascent, and three more bouts without a victory resulted in Zalal returning to the regional circuit, needing to regroup. Three stoppage wins and a great deal of maturation and growth as a man put the Factory X Muay Thai representative back on track, and since getting called to make his return to the Octagon, Zalal has been firing on all cylinders, looking like a more polished and prepared version of the electric prospect that first debuted at UFC 247.

Three straight submission wins landed him a place in the rankings at the close of last year, and a victory over Calvin Kattar in February pushed his record to 4-0 since returning and 7-0 since his first tour of duty wrapped, while also elevating him into the Top 10 in the featherweight rankings.

All the dynamic skills and obvious talent Zalal always possessed are still there, though he’s certainly sharper. But more importantly, there is a confidence to the way he fights now that was missing earlier in his career. He’s surer of himself, of his weapons, and it translates into the way he carries himself inside the UFC cage.

Saturday night, Zalal faces off with divisional stalwart and former interim title challenger Josh Emmett in a main card clash that will help clarify where each man stands in the featherweight pecking order. The 40-year-old Emmett packs a ton of power, has faced a steady diet of top talent over the last seven or eight years, and remains a tough out for anyone who stands across from him inside the Octagon.

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The landscape at featherweight continues to shift as athletes jockey for position in the title chase and lobby for opportunities. A fifth straight win and a victory over an established contender like Emmett would signal that Zalal is ready to be considered in all title discussions going forward, and confirm once more that his previous stumbles were never about talent; it just wasn’t his time.

Ateba Gautier

A member of the outstanding Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’25, Gautier looks the part of a dominant force inside the cage. Standing six-foot-four with a physical often seen chiseled out of granite, the 23-year-old middleweight from Cameroon is an imposing figure when he makes the walk to the Octagon, and through his first two appearances, his performances have proven him to be one.

In March, Gautier ventured to Mexico City and stopped the notoriously durable Jose Daniel Medina with a knee up the middle three-and-a-half minutes into his first UFC outing. Less than four months later at UFC 318, “The Silent Assassin” stalked, hurt, and dispatched TUF finalist Robert Valentin all in 70 seconds, earning his second straight first-round finish, his seventh consecutive stoppage win overall, and a place as one of the top emerging names in the UFC as we head towards the final quarter of 2025.

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What stands out most about Gautier, who trains alongside featherweight contender Lerone Murphy and recent DWCS grad Louis Lee-Scott at Manchester Top Team, is that despite being both a young man and relatively inexperienced as a fighter, he fights with the poise and patience of a much more seasoned competitor. Typically speaking, up-and-comers with punishing power and clear athletic advantages can get a little hurried at times, especially when they have opponents on the ropes, but Gautier has shown a keen understanding of the weapons he carries and how to best deploy them in order to get the results he’s after.

This weekend, he returns to Las Vegas for the first time since securing his contract last fall, facing off with promotional newcomer Treston Vines, who steps in on short notice, replacing former LFA champ Ozzy Diaz.

Gautier is one of the most intriguing prospects on the roster, and any opportunity to see him compete is valuable, especially in these early days of his UFC career. If he continues to show out the way he has so far this year, the buzz is only going to keep getting louder.

Farid Basharat

After nearly a year on the sidelines, the undefeated Basharat returns in search of his fifth consecutive UFC victory and 14th consecutive win overall this weekend when he steps in opposite bantamweight division fixture Chris Gutierrez on the UFC 320 prelims.

The younger half of the UFC’s Basharat Brothers, the 28-year-old Farid has continued to impress since joining his older brother Javid on the roster after earning a contract on Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series. Early decision wins over Da’Mon Blackshear and Taylor Lapilus showed the Afghani prospect was one to watch in the division, while his submission finish of Kleydson Rodrigues between those two victories highlighted his grappling prowess. Last time out, Basharat rolled with the punches when his opponent Victor Hugo missed weight by a gargantuan amount, meeting him at featherweight and beating him by unanimous decision at UFC 308.

Basharat is fundamentally sound and strong in every facet, while also possessing a quality gas tank and unwavering belief in himself. He and his brother shifted their training to American Top Team a little over a year ago, and it will be interesting to see what a full year spent working at the vaunted South Florida talent factory has done to elevate his already considerable skills.

Saturday’s meeting with Gutierrez is the type of veteran test every ascending prospect must face at some point as they look to work into the rankings. “El Guapo” is 10-3-1 in the UFC, coming off consecutive victories, and has the kind of dynamic kicking attack that can cause anyone problems, especially if the 34-year-old is able to get into rhythm early.

But Basharat has been chomping at the bit for an opportunity like this — he lobbied for the chance to face Jose Aldo following his victory last October — and will aim to show that he’s ready for an even more stern test next time out by defeating Gutierrez and maintaining his unbeaten record this weekend.