Aljamain Sterling defeated Youssef Zalal via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45) in the UFC Vegas 116 main event. The card featured 11 decisions and only two finishes: Ryan Spann knocked out Marcus Buchecha in the second round, and Jackson McVay submitted Cedriques Dumas with a D'arce choke in the first round. Other notable results included Jocelyn Edwards defeating Norma Dumont, Rafa García defeating Alexander Hernández, and Davey Grant defeating Adrian Luna Martínez, all via unanimous decision. The event tied a UFC record with 11 fights going to the judges' scorecards.
Aljamain Sterling extended his winning run with a dominant unanimous decision over Youssef Zalal in the main event of UFC Vegas 116 on April 26, with all three judges scoring the contest 49-45 in Sterling's favor.
Zalal, known as "The Moroccan Devil," entered the fight ranked 12th in the featherweight division with a record of 18-6-1. The 29-year-old American fighting out of Factory X is a switch-stance threat who averages 2.17 takedowns and 1.4 submission attempts per 15 minutes, giving him a well-rounded skill set. Despite those tools, he was unable to solve Sterling across five rounds.
The rest of the card became a historic footnote for the wrong reasons. Eleven of the night's bouts went to the judges' scorecards, tying a UFC record. Only two fights ended inside the distance: Ryan Spann knocked out Marcus Buchecha in the second round, and Jackson McVay submitted Cedriques Dumas with a D'arce choke in the first.
Among the decision verdicts, 40-year-old Davey Grant of England picked up a notable win, defeating Adrian Luna Martínez by unanimous decision. Fighting out of Syndicate MMA, "Dangerous" carries a record of 18-8 and lands an active 5.14 significant strikes per minute at 44 percent accuracy. Rafa García also earned a unanimous decision over Alexander Hernández, and Jocelyn Edwards handed Norma Dumont a unanimous decision defeat.
Why it matters
- Sterling's dominant scorecards strengthen his position in a featherweight division where Zalal held a top-15 ranking
- The 49-45 shutout across all three judges signals Sterling controlled nearly every aspect of the fight
- Zalal's loss drops him from the number 12 spot, reshuffling the lower tier of the featherweight rankings
- The record-tying 11 decisions in one night raises questions about the finishing power on display throughout the card
