Youssef Zalal came into UFC Vegas 116 on a real surge, but Aljamain Sterling put a hard stop to it in the main event. Fighting at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Sterling used pressure, takedowns, back control, and long stretches of top time to beat Zalal by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 49-45.
Sterling set the tone early by mixing forward pressure with level changes instead of letting Zalal settle into a kickboxing fight. He grabbed momentum in the first round, controlled key grappling exchanges, then took over even more in the second when he got to Zalal’s back and locked in a body triangle. Zalal had his best stretch in the third, threatening with a guillotine and later taking Sterling’s back, but he could not turn that round into a finish.
The fourth was the one that really buried the fight. Sterling got back to the mat work, rode Zalal hard from dominant positions, and piled up enough control and damage that it was scored 10-8 by the live observer. By the fifth, Sterling fought like a veteran who knew exactly what he needed. He clinched, forced another takedown, stayed heavy on top, and ran out the clock.
Here was one of the cleaner moments from the fight:
https://x.com/ufc/status/2048236372952281582
Aljamain Sterling made his featherweight case the ugly way and the smart way
Sterling is a former UFC bantamweight champion, a two-time NCAA Division III All-American wrestler, and now owns a 26-5 professional MMA record. Since moving back up to featherweight, he has kept himself in serious company, with his only loss in this run coming by decision against Movsar Evloev.
Sterling did not beat a fading name. He beat a live featherweight contender who came in with an 18-6-1 record and a strong second UFC run after clawing his way back to the roster. Zalal’s pressure, scrambling, and submission game had been giving people real problems, but Sterling’s experience showed up over five rounds.
https://x.com/ufc/status/2048242870369599629
A vintage performance 👏@FunkMasterMMA dominates on his way to a Unanimous Decision victory at #UFCVegas116! pic.twitter.com/62G0cHnkm0
— UFC (@ufc) April 26, 2026
Sterling said afterward that he knew Zalal would be hard to finish, so the plan was to stay active and keep hitting him. Then he aimed higher, calling for Movsar Evloev and making noise about Alexander Volkanovski too. He has already made it clear how he feels about the featherweight picture.
Zalal still had moments, especially in the third, but Sterling controlled more of the fight. He won the key grappling exchanges, banked the championship rounds, and closed the night with a clear five-round decision.
