TLDR
- Aljamain Sterling (25-5) faces Youssef Zalal (18-5-1) in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 116 main event
- Sterling has never been submitted in his MMA career; Zalal has won five straight fights with four submissions
- The fight takes place in the smaller Meta APEX octagon, which Zalal says favors Sterling’s grappling style
- Sterling predicts a third-round rear-naked choke finish and believes a win could earn him a title shot
- Zalal is two submissions away from tying Charles Oliveira’s featherweight division record
Sources: sports.yahoo.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will face surging contender Youssef Zalal in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 274 main event at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Both fighters are targeting a submission finish in what could determine the next featherweight title challenger.
Sterling, 36, enters the bout with a record of 25-5 in MMA and 17-5 in the UFC. He has never been submitted or choked unconscious in his entire career, a defensive record that has stood throughout his professional run.
Zalal, 29, will compete in his first UFC main event with an 18-5-1 overall record and 8-3-1 UFC record. He has won five straight fights since returning to the promotion in February 2024, with four of those victories coming by submission.
#UFCVegas116 – April 25th update
– Cody Durden replacing Lucas Rocha against Jafel Filho. Fight at 135 lbs.
– Lightweight fight between Francis Marshall and Lucas Brennan added to the card. pic.twitter.com/Sfwf2GJKIA— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) April 21, 2026
Small Cage Creates Tactical Challenge
The fight will take place in the smaller Meta APEX octagon, which presents different challenges than a standard UFC cage. Zalal acknowledged this could favor his opponent’s grappling-heavy approach.
“I think [the small cage] probably gives him more an advantage than anything,” Zalal told MMA Junkie on Monday. “But it’s a fight. You get to figure out all the puzzles and the chess match and stuff.”
Zalal is chasing history with a potential submission victory. He currently sits two submissions behind Charles Oliveira’s all-time featherweight record of most submissions in the 145-pound division.
Sterling has not competed since defeating Brian Ortega by unanimous decision in August. He moved up to featherweight after losing his bantamweight title, aiming to become a two-division champion.
Title Shot Implications
Sterling believes an impressive performance could earn him a shot at featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. The champion’s next defense has not been announced, leaving the door open for a new challenger.
“If I go out there and beat a young buck that’s surging hot right now… if I go out there and do what I’m supposed to do and do it in impressive fashion, I think there’s an argument to grant me the title shot against Volkanovski,” Sterling said.
Sterling referenced his controversial split decision loss to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310, which many observers felt he had won. A dominant victory over Zalal could help him leapfrog back into title contention.
The former champion predicted a third-round finish by rear-naked choke. “I hope he’s ready to grapple for 25 minutes or less,” Sterling said. “I believe I’m going to be the first one to finish Youssef and tap his ass out.”
Zalal has never been finished in his MMA career. His toughness and recent submission prowess make him a dangerous opponent for any featherweight contender.
Both fighters acknowledged their familiarity with each other from training. However, they agree that relationship will be set aside once the cage door closes Saturday night.
Sterling plans to use a grappling-heavy gameplan, comparing his approach to lightweight fighter Mateusz Gamrot’s relentless pressure style. He sees Zalal as one of the smarter fighters in the division but believes his experience advantage will prove decisive.
Zalal expressed confidence in his ability to adapt despite the challenging circumstances. “I’m in your world. Let’s see how good your world is. I’m going to show you how good my world is,” he said.
The fight will air on Paramount+ as the main event of UFC Fight Night 274. Sterling has only been finished twice in his career, both times by knockout or technical knockout.
