By ReutersPublished On 26 Apr 202626 Apr 2026After nearly two full slow-paced rounds, former Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling recorded a decision win over Youssef Zalal in the UFC Vegas 116 main event.Sterling found an opening with less than a minute left in the second round and secured a 49-45, 49-45, 49-45 unanimous decision across 25 minutes in the fight on Saturday. He had several submission attempts, including a fourth-round rear-naked choke opportunity in the closing minutes.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe American fighter, who has a 26-5 mixed martial arts (MMA) and 18-5 UFC record, was comfortable in all areas against his former training partner, but his objective for the rest of his career is simple: the UFC featherweight title currently held by Alexander Volkanovski.“Volkanovski, you know I’m coming,” Sterling said after his win, calling for a title shot.Zalal, with an 18-6-1 MMA and 8-4-1 UFC record, was classy in defeat.“I’ve come back before, and I’ll come back again,” Zalal said, crediting Sterling’s efforts.Sterling snapped Zalal’s eight-fight unbeaten streak, predicting that with a bit more five-round experience, the Moroccan competitor will find himself fighting for a championship.The co-main event saw UFC women’s bantamweight contender Joselyne Edwards of Panama move a step closer to a title shot with a unanimous decision victory over Brazil’s Norma Dumont, sweeping the scorecards 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.Edwards (18-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) had little trouble with Dumont (13-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC), extending her win streak to five. Dumont fell just short of a four-year unbeaten run, having won her previous six outings before taking her first loss since May 7, 2022. Advertisement In the lightw …
