UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs. Zalal Recap: Full Results and Analysis
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Aljamain Sterling delivered one of the most controlled performances of his featherweight career Saturday night at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, working through five rounds and a 49-45 sweep over Youssef Zalal to close out UFC Vegas 116. The card was already reshuffled before the first punch was thrown — Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley, the originally scheduled headliner, was cancelled, bumping Sterling vs. Zalal to the top of the bill. Sterling made the most of the moment. The night's most memorable image belongs to Ryan Spann, who sent Marcus Buchecha to the canvas with a left hook and right hand combination in round two and collected a Performance of the Night bonus. Two finishers earned those bonuses, and the prelims delivered a Fight of the Night as well. For a show that lost its original headliner, UFC Vegas 116 gave the audience plenty to remember.
Full Results
| Fight | Winner | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aljamain Sterling vs. Youssef Zalal | Sterling | Decision - Unanimous (49-45) | 5 | 5:00 |
| Joselyne Edwards vs. Norma Dumont | Edwards | Decision - Unanimous | 3 | — |
| Rafa García vs. Alexander Hernandez | García | Decision - Unanimous | 3 | 5:00 |
| Davey Grant vs. Adrián Luna Martinetti | Grant | Decision - Unanimous | 3 | 5:00 |
| Raoni Barcelos vs. Montel Jackson | Barcelos | Decision - Split | 3 | 5:00 |
| Ryan Spann vs. Marcus Buchecha | Spann | TKO (Punch) | 2 | 2:10 |
| Eric McConico vs. Rodolfo Vieira | McConico | Decision | 3 | — |
| Michelle Montague vs. Mayra Bueno Silva | Montague | Decision - Unanimous | 3 | 5:00 |
| Jackson McVey vs. Sedriques Dumas | McVey | Submission (D'Arce Choke) | 1 | 2:14 |
| Cody Durden vs. Jafel Filho | Durden | Decision - Unanimous | 3 | 5:00 |
Sean Brady vs. Joaquin Buckley, originally scheduled as the main event, was cancelled before fight night.
Main Event: Sterling Dominates From Start to Finish
Sterling's blueprint was simple and he never deviated from it. Six takedowns. 13:49 of ground control. 230 total strikes. Three judges scored it 49-45 — a sweep that was never in doubt once the first round ended.
Zalal showed he belongs at featherweight. He scrambled well, won the third round, and threatened with a submission attempt, but he had no answer for Sterling's ability to control pace, position, and distance across five full rounds. Every time Zalal tried to establish rhythm on the feet, Sterling closed the distance and tied him up. When the grappling exchanges happened, Sterling ended up on Zalal's back and stayed there.
Sterling is now two-for-two at 145 pounds after moving up from bantamweight. He landed nearly four times as many strikes as Zalal and spent more than a quarter of the fight controlling him from the back. The question after this performance is direct: who is ahead of him in line for a featherweight title shot?
Co-Main Event: Edwards Upsets Dumont
Joselyne Edwards came in on short notice and handed the No. 3-ranked women's bantamweight a unanimous decision loss. Dumont, who had been positioning herself for a title shot, never found a way to cut the distance effectively. Edwards kept her range with a sharp jab, stayed mobile, and outhustled the Brazilian across all three rounds. All three judges agreed. It is a significant setback for Dumont, who now faces a complicated road back to the top.
Spann Ends Buchecha's Night with One Combination
This was the moment that woke the building up. Spann read Buchecha's forward pressure in round two, set up a left hook, and followed through with a right hand that landed flush. Buchecha fell straight down. The stoppage came at 2:10, and Spann earned a Performance of the Night bonus.
Spann moves to 2-1 at heavyweight with back-to-back stoppages since moving up in weight. Buchecha, one of the most decorated grapplers in combat sports history, drops to 1-2 in UFC heavyweight competition. The result is a reminder that a single well-timed punch ends the fight before any grappling game starts — and that Spann carries enough power at 265 pounds to make every opponent think twice.
Rafa García Dominates Hernandez
Rafa García earned a unanimous decision over Alexander Hernandez at lightweight and did not make it close. García pressured forward throughout, used consistent clinch work to negate Hernandez's footwork, and out-landed him across all three rounds. The Mexican standout is building a resume that will push him into the lightweight rankings.
Barcelos Reaches Five Straight
Raoni Barcelos extended his winning streak to five fights with a split decision over Montel Jackson at bantamweight. The split scorecards reflect how competitive this one was — Jackson controlled range well at times and pushed the pace in the second round — but Barcelos was more effective in the clinch and more consistent down the stretch. Five in a row at 38 years old is not nothing.
Prelim Standouts
Jackson McVey earned his first UFC win and a Performance of the Night bonus on the same night. He dropped Sedriques Dumas with a right hand early, shifted to the back, and locked in a D'Arce choke at 2:14 of round one. McVey came in off back-to-back UFC losses. He erased that in a hurry.
Davey Grant and Adrián Luna Martinetti earned Fight of the Night for a three-round bantamweight war. Grant took the decision at 40 years old, outfighting a debuting 17-1 prospect who pushed him the entire way. The bonus made it a good night for both fighters.
Michelle Montague defeated former contender Mayra Bueno Silva by unanimous decision to add a notable name to her women's bantamweight record. Eric McConico took a decision over BJJ specialist Rodolfo Vieira in a prelim middleweight contest.
Bonuses
- Performance of the Night: Ryan Spann, Jackson McVey
- Fight of the Night: Davey Grant vs. Adrián Luna Martinetti