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Aljamain Sterling is set to face Youssef Zalal at UFC Vegas 116, aiming to secure a title shot in the featherweight division. Sterling, currently ranked in the Top 5, seeks to solidify his status as a contender after a recent victory over Brian Ortega.
Aljamain Sterling wears the title belt after defeating TJ Dillashaw in the bantamweight championship at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 22, 2022. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is currently ranked in the Top 5 at 145 pounds and could cement himself as the next featherweight title challenger with a victory over No. 7-ranked Youssef Zalal in the UFC Vegas 116 main event on Paramount+, scheduled for this Sat. night (April 25, 2026) at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
āI guess what makes this the right fight for me is that Iām facing a surging, hot prospect; someone who has been cut from the UFC, came back, and had a career resurgence,ā Sterling told . āHeās beaten Calvin Kattar, Josh Emmett ā some really tough dudes ā and of course there was Jack Shore who was a top-ranked bantamweight before moving up to featherweight. Heās a very unique and interesting puzzle to try to figure out, so Iām excited about the challenge and the test. I think beating a guy like this makes me undeniable.ā
Aljamain Sterling is currently ranked in the Top 5 at 145 pounds.
Aljamain Sterling is fighting No. 7-ranked Youssef Zalal at UFC Vegas 116.
UFC Vegas 116 is scheduled for April 25, 2026.
Aljamain Sterling's most recent victory was over Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai.

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The 36 year-old Sterling (25-5) is 2-1 since jumping to featherweight with his most recent victory coming over Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai. That said, āFunk Masterā was defeated by Movsar Evloev at UFC 310 and the undefeated Russian bruiser is currently ranked No. 1 at 145 pounds.
āAt this point in my career, I kind of just want to fight the bigger names, because I donāt have a lot of walks left,ā Sterling added. āSpeaking from a realistic standpoint, Iām 36. Iāll be 37 in July. I donāt have a ton of walks left, so it would make sense for myself and the UFC to give me the fights that make sense. Give me the legends or the guys with the bigger names; make the biggest fights you can make while weāre on our way out. This is a situation where I get to fight another young buck and I hope that if I go out there and turn back the young buck, my efforts are rewarded with a title shot and opportunity to fight for another title and become a two-division champion.ā
Not everyone agrees.
āItās hard not to root for Youssef Zalal as of late,ā UFC desk analyst and former welterweight contender Alan Jouban told MMA Junkie. āI take him as a very smart IQ fighter. Heās using his range, heās using his distance, and picking his shots very wisely. Heās utilizing his grappling, which has looked phenomenal. Sterling is one of the very best in the world. He went toe-to-toe with Movsar Evloev in some very tough exchanges. I donāt know if I would be comfortable saying a win here gets a title shot. Maybe one more win away. It feels like Zalal has more to gain in this matchup coming off a win over the name of an Aljamain Sterling. If heās able to get through Aljo, itās like, āWow, maybe this guy is ready for the top of the division.ā Itāll be interesting to see.ā
The 29 year-0ld Zalal (18-5-1) is the winner of eight straight with seven finishes during that streak.