Aljamain Sterling and Youssef Zalal meet in high-stakes featherweight headliner
UFC returns to Las Vegas, Nevada with a thrilling contest that sees former UFC bantamweight champion and current No. 5 ranked featherweight contender Aljamain Sterling take on No. 7 Youssef Zalal. Also on the card, top ranked bantamweights No. 3 Norma Dumont takes on No. 11 ranked contender Joselyne Edwards.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: STERLING vs ZALAL takes place Saturday, April 25th in Las Vegas, Nevada. The prelims will air at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET, followed by the main card airing at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET. All bouts will stream live on Paramount+.
Sterling (25-5, fighting out of Uniondale, N.Y.) makes his first appearance of the 2026 season looking to make a statement. A former UFC bantamweight champion, Sterling has etched his name in the history books by dominating and defeating impressive names such as Henry Cejudo, T.J. Dillashaw, and Brian Ortega. He now looks to halt Zalal’s momentum and further his goal of capturing a second division title.
Zalal (18-5-1, fighting out of Casablanca, Morocco by way of Englewood, Colo.) looks to deliver a shutout performance. Since stepping inside the Octagon, Zalal has earned his spot in the rankings by delivering strong wins against Josh Emmett, Calvin Kattar, and Jack Shore. Zalal now sets his sights on Sterling as he plans to secure the biggest win of his career and take out a former champion.
Dumont (13-2, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil) returns to action aiming to steal the show. The Brazilian has made a name for herself across two divisions by taking out noteworthy opponents including former champion Germaine de Randamie, Irene Aldana, and Ketlen Vieira. She now looks to further solidify her spot in the top of the 135-pounds rankings by defeating rising contender Edwards.
Edwards (17-6, fighting out of Panama City, Panama) sets out to secure a fifth straight victory. Joining the UFC when she was 26 years old, Edwards has grown into a full-fledged veteran and fierce competitor, delivering finishes against Nora Cornolle, Priscila Cachoeira, and Chelsea Chandler. Edwards now turns her attention to Dumont as she looks to deliver another highlight finish and break into the division’s Top 5.
Additional bouts on the card include:
• Talita Alencar (7-1-1, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. by way of Carutapera, Maranhão, Brazil) and Julia Polastri (14-5, fighting out of Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) face off in an all-Brazilian clash between Dana White’s Contender Series graduates in the strawweight division
• Middleweights Rodolfo Vieira (11-4, fighting out of Orlando, Fla.) and Eric McConico (10-4-1, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) compete in a preliminary card matchup
• Dana White’s Contender Series contract winners Jafel Filho (17-4, fighting out of Sento Sé, Bahia, Brazil) and Lucas Rocha (18-2, fighting out of Coari, Amazonas, Brazil) lock horns at flyweight
• All-action bantamweights No. 14 Montel Jackson (15-3, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) and Raoni Barcelos(21-5, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) face off
• A pivotal bantamweight bout sees former title challenger and No. 12 ranked Mayra Bueno Silva (10-6-1, fighting out of Uberlandia, Minas Gerias, Brazil) and Michelle Montague (7-0, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Matamata, New Zealand) collide
• Fireworks are expected when heavyweight Allen Frye Jr. (6-1, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.) battles Max Gimenis (6-2, fighting out of Gaithersburg, Maryland)
• Exciting bantamweights Davey Grant (17-8, fighting out of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England) and Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Adrian Luna Martinetti (17-1, fighting out of Guayaquil, Ecuador) go toe-to-toe
• A middleweight tilt sees Jackson McVey (6-2, fighting out of St. Charles, Mo.) face off against Dana White’s Contender Series signee Sedriques Dumas (10-4 1 NC, fighting out of Pensacola, Fla.)
