Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back home in Las Vegas, Nevada, gearing up to stage UFC Vegas 116 from inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Headlining the Paramount+-streamed event will be a Featherweight fight between Aljamain Sterling vs. Youssef Zalal. In the co-headliner, Norma Dumont will battle Joselyne Edwards in a women’s Bantamweight battle.
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UFC VEGAS 116 CHEAT SHEET
What UFC event is on tonight? UFC Vegas 116: “Sterling vs. Zalal”
Who is fighting tonight at UFC Vegas 116? Aljamain Sterling vs. Yousel Zalal
Featherweight fight is the five-round main event.
What time does UFC Vegas 116 start? TONIGHT (Sat., April 25, 2026), beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
Where will UFC Vegas 116 take place? Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
How can I watch UFC Vegas 116? Paramount+ “Prelims” undercard matches are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+, followed by the remaining main card balance on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET.
How do I bet on UFC Vegas 116? Checkout the latest lines right here and bet at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Where can I get UFC Vegas 116 updates and results? Get full UFC Vegas 116 play-by-play updates and live coverage here!
Sterling’s move to Featherweight has been pretty dull if we are being honest. He won his bout against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300, lost to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310 and then got back in the win column with a decent performance against Brian Ortega back in Aug. 2025. While he is currently ranked at No. 5, it seems he’s simply been lost in the shuffle when it comes to legit title contenders, so winning two straight for the first time in three years will go a long way for the former Bantamweight roost-ruler’s hopes of getting back into the championship chase. Another loss, however, could leave him at a crossroads in his career, and a move back down to 135 pounds won’t be out of the question.
As for Zalal, “The Moroccan Devil” is on quite a roll. From 2020 to 2021, Zalal lost three straight inside the Octagon before a majority draw against Da’Mon Blackshear finally lead to him parting ways with the promotion (he didn’t get cut!!!). Since his return to the Octagon onw year later, however, he has been on a tear, winning five straight fights, including four via submission. Now ranked No. 7, Zalal is hoping to crack the Top 5 for the first time in is career with a win over Sterling. From there, the sky is the limit for the feisty Moroccan, who has proven that getting a second chance can really boost confidence. If he proves his skill and finishes “Funkmaster,” it could be his fast track pass to a 145-pound title shot.
Original Card Vs. Actual Card/Injuries
A women’s Bantamweight bout between Yana Santos vs. Norma Dumont went up in smoke after Santos withdrew for undisclosed reasons. Stepping in to take her place is/was Edwards, who is enjoying a (violent) four-fight win streak. As for Dumont, she is riding high with six straight wins, which is good enough to put her at No. 3 in the rankings. This fight will co-headline the event.
A Flyweight bout between Lucas Rocha vs. Jafel Filho was scratched after Rocha withdrew for undisclosed reasons and was ultimately replaced by Cody Durden on one week’s notice. The fight will go down at Bantamweight, as Durden attempts to snap his four-fight win streak. As for Filho, he is coming off a first-round submission win over Clayton Carpenter back in Oct. 2025.
New Blood:
Former Bellator MMA standout, Lucas Brennan, signed a contract with UFC little more than one week ago to face Francis Marshall — who is 3-3 inside the Octagon — in a Lightweight bout. Brennan was 9-0 with Bellator MMA before the promotion went belly up. After a loss under PFL’s banner, and then one inside the Fury FC cage, he won two straight via first round submission under XKO’s banner and ultimately made it to the big leagues.
Victor Valenzuela lost his fight on Contender Series via knockout, then won his next bout on the regional circuit via technical knockout, which eventually earned him a shot on the big stage. “Psicosis” is 13-4 with nine stoppage wins and aims to impress against Max Griffin, who has lost two straight fights.
Winner of 15 straight fights, Contender Series alum, Adrian Luna Martinetti, will get his chance to shine on the big stage when he goes up against Davey Grant. Martinetti is the latest Ecuadorian looking to make a splash inside the Octagon, but has a “Dangerous” foe in front of him because Grant has been fighting at the highest level for the last 13 years; however, he is coming off a submission defeat at the hands of Charles Jourdain (highlights).
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
The last time we saw Rodolfo Vieira, he was getting his head kicked into oblivion by Bo Nickal (see it here), and now “The Black Belt Hunter” is out hunting for a win against Eric McConico, who was knocked out in his last fight by Baisangur Susurkaev.
Jackson McVey is winless (0-2) in his first two fights inside the Octagon, so he is in desperate need of a win when he goes up against Sedriques Dumas, who could also use a trip to the winner’s circle after going 0-2-1 in his last three trips to the eight-walled cage.
Opening up the undercard will be a women’s Flyweight bout between Talita Alencar vs. Julia Polastri. Alencar is 3-1 so far in her young UFC career and is looking for her third straight win against “Psycho,” who has alternated wins and losses to the tune of a 2-2 record inside the Octagon.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
Mayra Bueno Silva competed for the women’s Bantamweight title in Jan. 2024, losing to Raquel Pennington. Since then, Silva has been mired in a horrible slump, losing her next three fights and now faces the risk of losing five in a row, which could lead to her getting cut should she come up short against Michelle Montague, who is undefeated (7-0), including winning her promotional debut against Luana Carolina.
Interest Level: 6/10
Alexander Hernandez has been flying under the radar in the Lightweight division, but “The Great” has really found his groove as of late and is on the verge of cracking the Top 15 if he can secure his fifth straight win when he goes up against Rafa Garcia. Hernandez hasn’t tasted defeat in two years and his last two wins have come by way of technical knockout. Against Garcia, however, he is facing a man on a two-fight win streak and with the mission of getting his name out there a bit more. If he can tame “The Great,” then that is exactly what will happen.
Montel Jackson was just one more win away from a career-high, seven-fight win streak before running into Deiveson Figueiredo, who beat him via razor-thin split decision in Oct. 2025. Now, “Quik” has to start his streak all over, battling Raoni Barcelos, the Brazilian bruiser who is enjoying a four-fight win streak. Barcelos hasn’t lost in three years and the 38-year-old has shown that his age isn’t slowing him down one bit.
Marcus Buchecha is just 0-1-1 in his first two appearances inside the Octagon, so he is aiming to way more consistent when it comes to securing wins. He will try to break into UFC’s win column when he goes up against Ryan Spann, who is coming off a big win over Lukasz Brzeski, his first victory at Heavyweight under UFC’s banner.
Enjoy the fights!
Full UFC Vegas 116 Fight Card:
UFC Vegas 116 Main Event On Paramount+:
145 lbs.: Aljamain Sterling vs. Youssef Zalal
UFC Vegas 116 Main Card on Paramount+ (8 p.m. ET):
135 lbs.: Norma Dumont vs. Joselyne Edwards
155 lbs.: Rafa Garcia vs. Alex Hernandez
135 lbs.: Davey Grant vs. Adrian Luna Martinetti
135 lbs.: Montel Jackson vs. Raoni Barcelos
265 lbs.: Marcus Buchecha vs. Ryan Spann
UFC Vegas 116 ‘Prelims’ Card on Paramount+ (5 p.m. ET):
185 lbs.: Rodolfo Vieira vs. Eric McConico
185 lbs.: Sedriques Dumas vs. Jackson McVey
135 lbs.: Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Michelle Montague
125 lbs.: Jafel Filho vs. Cody Durden
170 lbs.: Max Griffin vs. Victor Valenzuela
115 lbs.: Talita Alencar vs. Julia Polastri
155 lbs.: Lucas Brennan vs. Francis Marshall
*Fight card, bout order and amount of fights remain subject to change.*
