Sterling faces Zalal in FN main event April 25

Aljamain Sterling and Youssef Zalal are set to collide in the main event of UFC Fight Night on April 25 in Las Vegas, with both men competing at featherweight. The bout has been confirmed on the updated 2026 UFC schedule and will headline the card under the banner UFC Fight Night: Aljo vs Zalal.

Sterling, nicknamed "Funk Master," brings a 26-5-0 record and currently sits fourth in the featherweight rankings. The 36-year-old from the Serra-Longo Fight Team has made a notable transition from his bantamweight career and is pushing toward the top of a stacked 145-pound division. Standing five-foot-seven with a 71-inch reach, Sterling is a well-rounded threat who lands 4.45 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy and averages 2.45 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Zalal, known as "The Moroccan Devil," enters ranked 12th at featherweight with an 18-6-1 record. The 29-year-old trains out of Factory X and competes out of the United States. He stands five-foot-ten with a 72-inch reach and fights out of a switch stance. Zalal lands 3.03 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy, averages 2.17 takedowns per 15 minutes, and attempts 1.4 submissions per 15 minutes, making him a credible mixed threat on the ground and feet.

Why it matters

• Sterling's ranking of fourth makes this a pivotal fight for his featherweight title ambitions
• A Zalal win would represent a massive leap up the rankings from 12th
• The stylistic matchup pits Sterling's high-output striking and takedown efficiency against Zalal's well-rounded, switch-stance offense and submission activity
• The result will carry clear implications for the featherweight divisional picture heading into the summer