Sterling vs. Zalal headlines UFC Fight Night April 25

Aljamain Sterling and Youssef Zalal are set to clash in the main event of UFC Fight Night on April 25, 2026, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, with the card streaming live on Paramount+ and the main card beginning at 8 PM ET.

Sterling, known as "Funk Master," brings a 26-5-0 record into the cage and is ranked fourth in the featherweight division. The 36-year-old American trains out of Serra-Longo Fight Team and is a former bantamweight champion now making his name in a new weight class. Standing five-foot-seven with a 71-inch reach, Sterling is an orthodox fighter who lands 4.45 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy while also threatening with 2.45 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a genuine two-way threat.

Zalal, nicknamed "The Moroccan Devil," enters with an 18-6-1 record and sits at number 12 in the featherweight rankings. The 29-year-old, also competing out of the United States under the Factory X banner, fights out of a switch stance and stands five-foot-ten with a 72-inch reach. He averages 3.03 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy and generates 2.17 takedowns per 15 minutes, complemented by 1.4 submission attempts in the same span, signaling an active and creative ground game.

Why it matters

• Sterling's ranking at fourth in the division puts a strong performance within striking distance of title contention at featherweight.
• Zalal sits at 12th, and a main-event victory over a former champion would dramatically accelerate his rise.
• Both fighters carry genuine grappling credentials, setting up a compelling wrestling and submission chess match.
• The bout adds a marquee matchup to the UFC's busy spring schedule as the featherweight division continues to sort itself out.