Aljamain Sterling shuts down Youssef Zalal in UFC Vegas 116 main event

A featherweight bout between former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and No. 7 ranked Youssef Zalal headlined Saturday's UFC event at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Sterling entered the match ranked No. 5 in the division and coming off a dominant win over former two-time title challenger Brian Ortega. Since returning to the bantamweight division in 2024, "Funk Master" has gone 2-1 with the one loss being to the top contender Movsar Evloev via decision.

Zalal made the walk to the octagon for his first UFC main event riding an impressive eight-fight winning streak knowing a win over Sterling would jump him in the rankings and into the title picture.

They met in the center and measured distance with missed leg kicks. Zalal landed a leg kick. Step.ing pressed forward behind a jab. Zalal began pressuring Sterling. He landed a counter right hand. Sterling changed levels and worked to get the fight to the ground midway through the round. Zalal defended the attempt and they separated. Zalal slipped while throwing a kick and Sterling seized the opportunity to gain top control on the ground. Zalal briefly looked for a triangle choke but Sterling defended and moved to h half guard. Zalal scrambled but was unable to get back to his feet. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Sterling.

Sterling delivered leg kicks early in the second frame before looking for a takedown. Zalal's takedown defense held up and they separated. Zalal jumped into the pocket with a knee that partially landed. Sterling began pressuring Zalal and delivered a kick to the body. Sterling looked for a takedown along the cage but Zalal circled away. Zalal began landing his jab. Zalal missed with a right hand and Sterling secured a takedown. He mounted Zalal and hammered away with left hands. Zalal rolled Stelring remained on his back with a body lock applied. He delivered a series of punches. MMAWeekly scored the frame 10-9 for Sterling.