Aljamain Sterling News

Chris Taylor - April 25, 2026

We have you covered for all of tonight’s UFC Vegas 116 results, including the featherweight main event between Aljamain Sterling and Youssef Zalal. Sterling (26-5 MMA), the promotion‘s former bantamweight champion, will be returning to action for the first time since earning a unanimous decision victory over Brian Ortega this past August in Shanghai, China. Prior to that triumph, ‘Funk Master’ had dropped a decision loss to fellow 145lbs contender Movsar Evloev at UFC 310.

Chris Taylor - April 25, 2026

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the Apex for tonight’s UFC Vegas 116 event, a 13-bout fight card headlined by Aljamain Sterling vs. Youssef Zalal. Sterling (25-5 MMA), the promotion‘s former bantamweight champion, will be returning to action for the first time since earning a unanimous decision victory over Brian Ortega this past August in Shanghai, China. Prior to that triumph, ‘Funk Master’ had dropped a decision loss to fellow 145lbs contender Movsar Evloev at UFC 310.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 24, 2026

Aljamain Sterling and Youssef Zalal successfully made weight on Friday for their UFC Vegas 116 headliner. Sterling used the one-pound allowance for a non-title fight to clock in at 146 pounds. Zalal weighed in just a half pound less than “Funk Master.” Since both men hit their targets, this means Saturday’s main event is now official for the Meta Apex.

Cole Shelton - April 23, 2026

Aljamain Sterling sent Youssef Zalal a text message before their UFC Vegas 116 main event fight was announced. Sterling and Zalal are friends outside the Octagon, but knew a fight between the two was destined to happen, especially with both being legit title contenders. So, once the fight offer came in, Sterling revealed he sent Zalal a text message and wished him the best.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 22, 2026

If Arman Tsarukyan thinks he can blow past the 145-pound division, one former UFC champion believes he’ll be in for a rude awakening. Tsarukyan has teased moving down in weight to challenge featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. “Ahalkalakets” recently told IbraTV that while his goal to become a lightweight titleholder remains, he’d find it difficult to turn down an opportunity to face “The Great.”

Fernando Quiles Jr. - April 21, 2026

Aljamain Sterling believes a featherweight title opportunity looms if he scores a win at UFC Vegas 116. Sterling is scheduled to face Youssef Zalal on Saturday. Zalal is riding an eight-fight winning streak and he’s coming off a submission finish over Josh Emmett. Sterling was last seen inside the Octagon back in Aug. 2025, scoring a unanimous decision win over Brian Ortega.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 31, 2026

A former UFC champion believes that Israel Adesanya isn’t as sharp as he once was. Adesanya went from having one of the most memorable knockouts wins of all time against Alex Pereira to suffering four losses in a row. It has been a rapid decline for “The Last Stylebender,” who was recently stopped by Joe Pyfer in the UFC Seattle main event.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 24, 2026

Aljamain Sterling did not agree with the judges who scored the UFC London main event. Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy collided in a pivotal featherweight clash this past Saturday inside The O2 Arena. The bout featured five rounds of competitive action. Along the way, Evloev was deducted a point for accidental fouls.

Cole Shelton - March 17, 2026

Aljamain Sterling knows beating Youssef Zalal at UFC Vegas 116 won’t be easy. Sterling is set to headline the Fight Night card on April 25 at the Apex in a pivotal fight at featherweight. The winner of the fight could very well get the next title shot, so the stakes are high.

Harry Kettle - March 16, 2026

UFC veteran Aljamain Sterling has given his thoughts on a possible showdown between himself and Alexander Volkanovski. For the longest time now, Aljamain Sterling has been in a difficult position with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has made it crystal clear that he isn’t too pleased with his current spot in the promotion, but he will have the opportunity to get back in there and compete soon when he meets Youssef Zalal next month.

Curtis Calhoun - March 11, 2026

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling’s long wait for a featherweight booking is reportedly over. Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling is on the verge of a potential featherweight title shot after a dominant win over former title challenger Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai last year. Sterling moved to 2-1 since making the full-time move to featherweight, defeating Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 before losing to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 1, 2026

Aljamain Sterling believes UFC wants him to fall down the featherweight ladder. Sterling has long had issues with the UFC brass. When he was the reigning bantamweight champion, White told reporters that “Funk Master” can’t get out of his own way. Sterling addressed the matter with UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell during fight negotiations, but it doesn’t appear the tension has gone away.

Cole Shelton - February 10, 2026

Aljamain Sterling is eager to see Movsar Evloev take on Lerone Murphy at UFC London in a pivotal fight at featherweight. Evloev vs. Murphy is likely a No. 1 contender fight as both have never lost in their careers. Yet, Sterling does see some holes in Evloev’s game, especially after fighting him.

Harry Kettle - January 29, 2026

Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling has spoken about his goals, and concerns, ahead of the rest of the year. It’s safe to say that Aljamain Sterling has been a bit more outspoken in recent months. Whether it be frustrations with the UFC or frustrations with the sport as a whole, the former king of the bantamweights hasn’t been afraid to speak his mind – which has earned him a lot of respect from some corners of the MMA world.

Harry Kettle - December 23, 2025

Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling wants some big fights in the featherweight division next year. As we know, once upon a time, Aljamain Sterling was the UFC bantamweight champion. However, after losing the belt to Sean O’Malley, he opted to make the move back up to 145 pounds. He’s gone 2-1 since then, but at the age of 36, it certainly feels like the clock is ticking if he’s serious about making a push to become a two-weight world champion.

Harry Kettle - December 18, 2025

Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling didn’t hold back when giving his thoughts on the state of doping in mixed martial arts. Throughout the last few years, Aljamain Sterling has consistently possessed something that many fighters lack – a great physique. He is also a former UFC bantamweight champion, and his goal is to try and achieve that feat once again, this time in the featherweight division.

Harry Kettle - December 7, 2025

Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling has given his thoughts on Petr Yan defeating Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323. In the main event of UFC 323, Petr Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili to become the new UFC bantamweight champion. It was an absolutely incredible performance from the Russian sensation, to the point where on two scorecards, he won by four rounds to one. After years of being away from the title picture, he has finally been able to work his way back to the very top.

Harry Kettle - December 3, 2025

Aljamain Sterling and Lerone Murphy have started to tease a possible featherweight showdown against each other. As we know, Lerone Murphy was overlooked recently in the UFC featherweight championship conversation. Instead of him getting a shot against reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski, which was what many expected, that opportunity was instead given to Diego Lopes. As you can imagine, Murphy wasn’t too pleased about this.