Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will headline UFC Vegas 116 against rising featherweight contender Youssef Zalal on April 25, 2026, at the Apex in Las Vegas. The matchup, reported as a potential title eliminator, comes after Sterling expressed frustrations over his booking delays in the division. Zalal enters on an eight-fight win streak, aiming for a shot at the featherweight crown.
Aljamain Sterling, who moved to the featherweight division full-time after his bantamweight title reign, has secured a significant bout in his fourth appearance at 145 pounds. Multiple sources, including MMA Fighting and BJPenn.com, confirmed that Sterling will face Youssef Zalal in the five-round main event of UFC Vegas 116, scheduled for April 25, 2026, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Brazilian reporter Leo Guimaraes first broke the news on Twitter, though the UFC has not yet officially announced the fight.
Sterling's recent featherweight record stands at 2-1. He defeated Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 and followed with a dominant win over Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai in August of the previous year. His only loss came via a competitive decision against Movsar Evloev at UFC 310. Following his victory over Benson Henderson in a non-UFC bout, Sterling voiced his frustrations to MMA Fighting about the UFC's delays in booking him, stating that the promotion seemed to be 'rooting for him to lose' amid a strained relationship with matchmakers.
Zalal, known as 'The Moroccan Devil,' is riding an impressive eight-fight win streak after a earlier four-fight skid. His most recent triumph was a 98-second submission of Josh Emmett at UFC 320 in October. Other victories in the streak include Calvin Kattar, Jack Shore, and Billy Quarantillo. This clash pits two top grapplers against each other, with title implications on the line.
The card was initially set to be headlined by Sean Brady versus Joaquin Buckley, but no updates have been provided on that matchup. The full UFC Vegas 116 lineup is expected to be finalized soon.
