UFC 320 was definitely a night full of surprises. In the main event, Alex Pereira defied all the odds to win the rematch against Magomed Ankalaev with a vicious KO. Then came Merab Dvalishvili, who surpassed the 100-takedown mark to secure a dominant unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event. But that wasn’t all—there was an undercard fight that set a record fans probably didn’t expect.

In the second fight of the main card, Josh Emmett and Youssef Zalal clashed in a highly anticipated featherweight bout. A classic veteran vs. rising contender matchup that many expected to explode with action. However, the outcome surprised everyone. After some time on the feet, Zalal took down Emmett and locked in an armbar. In a very difficult position, ‘CCO’ couldn’t escape and ended up verbally tapping out in 1:38 seconds of the very first round. Still, what made the finish even more remarkable is that the fight ended without a single strike being thrown.

Josh Emmett vs Youssef Zalal gets a rare ending at UFC 320

After the fight, Australian MMA content creator Benny P posted on X, “Didn’t realise we got a rare 0 strikes landed on either side matchup #UFC320,” along with a picture of the statistics from the Emmett vs. Zalal fight. The stats clearly show that ‘The Moroccan Devil’ didn’t land any significant strikes and only attempted one takedown, which ended up being the fight-winning move.

For a matchup that seemed destined to be a banger, it was definitely an unexpected ending. But this wasn’t the first time in UFC history that a fight ended without a strike being thrown. At UFC 261, former middleweight champion Chris Weidman landed a leg kick on Uriah Hall’s shin in the first round, snapping it in a horrific injury. As a result, Hall won the fight without throwing a single strike.

While the UFC 320 incident wasn’t as extreme, it was certainly reminiscent of that rare scenario—and that’s what makes it so remarkable. Now, after this strange and entertaining victory, what’s next for Youssef Zalal? According to him, he’s looking at a top British contender as his next opponent.

Zalal wants Lerone Murphy next  

The UFC featherweight title picture is shaping up to be very interesting. Champion Alexander Volkanovski is looking for a fresh matchup, while contenders like Lerone Murphy and Diego Lopes have gained momentum in the race. Now, after defeating a veteran like Josh Emmett, Youssef Zalal has emerged as one of the front-runners.

The Moroccan native understands that he might need to beat another contender to solidify his position. He believes only a fight with Lerone Murphy would make a true contender bout, while Lopes would likely need a second shot at the champ.

In his post-fight octagon interview, Zalal said, “I’m too smart for these guys. I’m way too smart. I move way too well. I set up everything perfectly. I just need my chance, and I will get my chance. Hey, shout out to Diego Lopes—he looked amazing at his last fight, give that man a title shot. But give me Lerone Murphy, give me that guy next, I’ll get him anytime.”

Murphy himself scored an incredible spinning backfist knockout against Aaron Pico at UFC 319. Following that, Volkanovski even called him out for a title fight in December, making it a bit tough for Zalal to get that matchup immediately. Which Joe Rogan also noted. Still, Zalal could look to face Aljamain Sterling or Yair Rodriguez to strengthen his case further.

With that in mind, what do you think about the Youssef Zalal vs. Josh Emmett ending? Did it surprise you? And where do you see the Moroccan contender going next?