After nearly two full slow-paced rounds in the UFC Vegas 116 main event from the Meta APEX Saturday night, former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling found an opening with under a minute left in Round 2 against Youssef Zalal. But it was only the beginning of Sterling’s relentless pace.
Several submission attempts, including a fourth-round rear-naked choke opportunity in the closing minutes from Sterling, led to a unanimous decision win across 25 minutes, 49-45, 49-45, 49-45. Sterling (26-5 MMA, 18-5 UFC) was comfortable in all areas against his former training partner, but his objective for the rest of his career is simple.
“(Alexander) Volkanovski, you know I’m coming for that ass,” Sterling said, calling for a featherweight title shot.
Zalal (18-6-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) was classy in defeat.
“I’ve come back before and I’ll come back again,” Zalal said, crediting Sterling’s efforts.
Sterling snapped Zalal’s eight-fight unbeaten streak, predicting that with a bit more five-round experience, the Moroccan competitor will find himself fighting for a championship.
The co-main event saw UFC women’s bantamweight contender Joselyne Edwards of Panama move a step closer to a title shot with a unanimous decision victory over Brazil’s Norma Dumont, sweeping the scorecards 29-28, 29-28, 30-27. Edwards (18-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) had little trouble with Dumont (13-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC), extending her win streak to five. Dumont fell just short of a four-year unbeaten run, having won her previous six outings before taking her first loss since May 7, 2022.
In the lightweight division, Rafa Garcia of Mexico halted Alexander Hernandez’s four-fight winning streak, earning a unanimous decision 29-28, 29-28, 30-27. Garcia (19-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) has won three in a row, keeping the fight on the feet, taking Hernandez’s best punches while giving back his own at a much higher rate. Hernandez (18-9 MMA, 10-8 UFC) had not lost since April 6, 2024.
Bantamweight Davey Grant of England earned a unanimous decision against UFC debutant Adrian Luna Martinetti, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, in an entertaining all-around affair. Grant (18-8 MMA, 9-7 UFC) has won five of his last seven fights, while Luna Martinetti (17-2 MMA), who hails from Ecuador, had not lost since Sept. 20, 2017.
At bantamweight, Brazil’s Raoni Barcelos squeaked out a split-decision win against Montel Jackson, taking two of the three judges’ scorecards, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. Barcelos (22-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) extended his winning streak to five, dating back to Feb. 24, 2024. On the other side, Jackson (15-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) has lost back-to-back fights since his six-fight winning streak which spanned March of 2021 until last October.
Heavyweight Ryan Spann delivered a blitzing right hand to send Brazilian Marcus Buchecha to the canvas, finishing the fight by KO at 2:10 of Round 2 to open the UFC Vegas 116 six-fight main card with what became the only finish. Spann (24-11 MMA, 10-6 UFC) has won back-to-back fights and three of his last four. Buchecha (5-3-1 MMA, 0-2-1 UFC), a seasoned grappler, remains winless in the promotion.
-Field Level Media
