UFC 320: Josh Emmett vs. Youssef Zalal Predictions and Odds

An important matchup between ranked UFC featherweight contenders Josh Emmett and Youssef Zalal will be witnessed on Oct. 4 as part of the UFC 320 card, which will take place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Because of his four-fight win streak inside the octagon, Zalal is going to be the considerable betting favorite with -415 UFC odds. Meanwhile, Emmett, who despite being a former UFC interim featherweight title challenger, will be the overwhelming betting underdog with +325 odds.

UFC 320: Emmett vs. Zalal Odds

• Josh Emmett: +325
• Youssef Zalal: -415

UFC 320: Emmett vs. Zalal: Prediction

I predict that Zalal will win via unanimous decision against Emmett because he’s the much quicker, elusive, and accurate fighter. Plus, he has much superior grappling skills that he can use to take Emmett down and potentially submit him.

Zalal has shown significant improvements in his striking, particularly in boxing, during his previous fight against Calvin Kattar. He was very elusive in his movement and was precise with his punches, which frustrated Kattar throughout three rounds.

Furthermore, he can also choose to use his grappling skills against Emmett, who’s known to be a power puncher. This way, he can avoid the powerful strikes that he throws and operate on the ground, where he can throw ground-and-pound strikes or attempt various submissions.

At 40, Father Time has finally caught up with Emmett, and his explosiveness and athleticism have significantly shown during his previous match against Murphy, which is why I predict Zalal to cruise into a comfortable decision victory with the judges’ nod.

Josh Emmett’s Recent Fight Results

Emmett is a nine-year UFC veteran who made his promotional debut against Jon Tuck in May 2016 and came away with a split decision win over him. Then, he won eight of his next 10 fights to earn his shot for the UFC interim featherweight title against Yair Rodriguez in February 2023 at UFC 284.

However, Emmett came up short and was submitted by Rodriguez in the second round of that championship battle. Following that loss to “El Pantera,” Emmett has only won one fight in his last three, with a brutal first-round win over Bryce Mitchell and decision setbacks from Ilia Topuria and Lerone Murphy.

Youssef Zalal’s Recent Fight Results

Zalal first earned his spot in the UFC in 2020 and won his first three bouts inside the octagon. But it was followed by three straight losses and a draw, which prompted the promotion to cut him in 2022. This forced him to fight in other organizations.

The Moroccan MMA star finished three opponents at Sparta before the UFC once again called him to compete inside the octagon in 2024. Zalal made sure to capitalize on his second stint under the Las Vegas-based promotion by winning his last four fights.

Zalal submitted Billy Quarantillo, Jarno Errens, and Jack Shore before he outpointed Kattar in his most recent match last February, with a unanimous nod from the judges to crack a spot in the division’s top 10 rankings.

UFC 320: Emmett vs. Zalal: Tale of the Tape