UFC fighter Aljamain Sterling seeks featherweight title opportunity following recent victory

Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling Secures Unanimous Win Over Youssef Zalal at UFC Vegas 116

Aljamain Sterling earned a unanimous decision victory over his former training partner Youssef Zalal in the main event of UFC Vegas 116, held on Saturday. The fight lasted for 25 minutes and saw Sterling secure a 49-45, 49-45, 49-45 win across all three judges’ scorecards.

Sterling, who has a 26-5 mixed martial arts record and an 18-5 UFC record, was comfortable in all areas of the fight against Zalal. The American fighter had several submission attempts throughout the bout, including a rear-naked choke opportunity in the fourth round.

Following his win, Sterling called for a title shot against current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. “Volkanovski, you know I’m coming,” Sterling said. Zalal, who has an 18-6-1 MMA record and an 8-4-1 UFC record, was gracious in defeat, stating that he would return from his loss.

In the co-main event, Joselyne Edwards of Panama secured a unanimous decision victory over Norma Dumont of Brazil. Edwards extended her win streak to five with a score of 29-28, 29-28, 30-27 across all three judges’ scorecards.

Other notable results from the evening’s events included Rafa Garcia’s unanimous decision victory over Alexander Hernandez, Davey Grant’s unanimous decision win against Adrian Luna Martinetti, and Raoni Barcelos’s split-decision victory over Montel Jackson. Heavyweight Ryan Spann also finished his fight with a knockout victory over Marcus Buchecha in just 2:10 of the second round.

The wins marked significant milestones for several fighters, including Edwards, Grant, and Barcelos, who all moved closer to potential title shots in their respective divisions.

Source: Al Jazeera