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“To be honest, probably not,” he said. “I’d probably be doing some kickboxing, maybe Glory, but that would be pushing it.”
That doesn’t mean he’s let go of his roots or that his nation is ignoring his success. It’s quite the opposite, as he’s been getting regular reports from his mom about the reaction at home to the UFC’s Moroccan star.
“They’re losing their mind over there,” he said. “They’re like, ‘This is the best Moroccan fighter we ever had, your son is making a name in Morocco and changing how Moroccan MMA is.’ I was very excited when I heard that and saw that I was getting the love and support from back home.”
He pauses.
“It’s mind blowing,” Zalal continues. “You always joke around with your friends in high school and say, ‘One day I’m gonna be the best fighter,’ but when reality hits, it’s pretty cool to see all these years you put in and still have more to go. But I’m not the best fighter and I still have so many things to prove to myself to become the best fighter.”
That humility is appreciated, but it really doesn’t matter whether Zalal is the best or not right now. To his fans in Morocco and the kids he teaches here in his adopted home, he is the pound-for-pound king, even if does get a little advice every now and then.
“After I came home (from a recent fight), one of the kids I teach told me to keep my hands up,” laughed Zalal, who wants those kids to do this sport for the right reason, and the reason why he does it. Because he loves it.
“I really want to make sure this is the thing they want to do,” he said. “This is not a joke; this is a real sport. You’re not just gonna do it because you think you can be cool or this and that. It’s not that. As long as you’re having fun and this is what you want to do, you’ll be an amazing fighter.”
Sounds like Mr. Zalal has it all figured out.
“It’s what you do with an opportunity,” he said. “That’s all that matters.”
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