The main event of UFC Vegas 116 is officially on after both fighters successfully made weight. Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling came in at 66.22 kg (145.98 lbs), while Youssef Zalal weighed 66 kg (145.5 lbs) exactly. Both fighters are now cleared to compete in their featherweight bout. The weigh-in took place on April 24, 2026, confirming the headlining matchup will proceed as scheduled. This appears to be Sterling's continued campaign in the featherweight division.
Both Aljamain Sterling and Youssef Zalal stepped on the scales without issue on April 24, 2026, locking in the UFC Vegas 116 main event. Sterling checked in at 145.98 pounds, with Zalal coming in at 145.5 pounds, leaving both men cleared to compete in their featherweight headliner.
Sterling, nicknamed "Funk Master," enters the bout ranked fourth in the featherweight division with a professional record of 26-5-0. The 36-year-old from the United States trains out of Serra-Longo Fight Team and is a former bantamweight champion now campaigning at 145 pounds. Standing five-foot-seven with a 71-inch reach, he lands 4.45 significant strikes per minute at a 52 percent accuracy rate and averages 2.45 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded threat on the feet and on the mat.
Zalal, known as "The Moroccan Devil," holds a record of 18-6-1 and sits at number 12 in the featherweight rankings. The 29-year-old American fighting out of Factory X stands five-foot-ten with a 72-inch reach and brings a switch stance into the cage. He lands 3.03 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy while adding 2.17 takedowns per 15 minutes and averaging 1.4 submission attempts in the same window, signaling genuine finishing ability across multiple disciplines.
Why it matters
- Sterling's continued push at featherweight has direct implications for the division's top-five picture, given his fourth-place ranking.
- A win for Zalal over a ranked opponent of Sterling's caliber could vault the 12th-ranked contender into title conversation range.
- The stylistic matchup pits Sterling's higher striking volume and grappling consistency against Zalal's submission-hunting and physical reach advantage.
