Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling leaned on his grappling dominance and championship experience to wear down Youssef Zalal over five rounds, securing a dominant victory at UFC Vegas 116 inside the UFC Apex on Saturday night.
Round 1 – Zalal came out pumping the jab like a piston, immediately setting the tone. Sterling looked to manage distance with kicks, but Zalal stayed aggressive, using his striking to close the gap, even if he wasn’t landing anything particularly damaging early.
The two traded control of the center, each taking turns applying pressure. Sterling would step forward and try to crash into range, looking to initiate grappling exchanges, but Zalal’s footwork kept him off the fence and out of danger.
Sterling eventually shot in on a single leg, which Zalal initially defended well. Moments later, however, Sterling timed a sharp leg kick as Zalal threw a body kick, knocking him off balance and creating the opening for a takedown.
From top position, Sterling settled in as Zalal worked to escape, attempting to shrimp out. Zalal then threw up a triangle, but Sterling stayed composed, maintaining posture and defending effectively while absorbing a few hammer fists. Realizing the submission wasn’t there, Zalal abandoned it.
The round closed with Zalal in a turtle position as Sterling controlled from above, landing knees to the body to finish the frame.
Round 2 – Sterling came out far more aggressive in the second round, firing leg kicks and applying heavy pressure on Zalal. He worked behind his jab, looking to set up a takedown, but Zalal defended well and forced the action back to striking.
Zalal answered with a knee up the middle that appeared to at least graze Sterling, prompting the former bantamweight champion to take a few deep breaths. Building on that moment, Zalal surged forward and put Sterling on the back foot, though it proved to be a trap as Sterling drew him into a clinch along the fence. After a brief grappling exchange, they separated and returned to striking.
Sterling then slipped a left hook from Zalal, ducking under to secure a body lock from behind before dragging him to the mat. From there, Sterling quickly took the back and began unloading with strikes.
As Zalal attempted to break the body triangle, he only allowed Sterling to tighten his control. Using a half nelson, Sterling continued to land shots to the head while maintaining dominant position.
The round closed with Sterling firmly on Zalal’s back, landing steady ground-and-pound to cap a strong frame.
Round 3 – Sterling shot in for a double leg and Zalal landed a knee to the chin which didnt hurt Sterling. He stayed in looking for the double leg, lifted Zalal and took him down. Zalal went for a hail mary guillotine which was pretty tight until Sterling went to his back to defend it.
Zalal gladly took top position forcing Sterling to get back to his full guard to defend. Zalal got to his feet and ate a couple up kicks until he dropped down looking to take the back on the ground.
Zalal took the back locking in a body triangle and rode the position the rest of the round.
Round 4 – Sterling wasted no time engaging, quickly closing the distance and taking Zalal’s back with more than four minutes remaining in the round, looking to drag him into deep waters.
His experience in longer fights began to show, as Sterling maintained control from the back and landed a steady stream of strikes to the head. He eventually locked in a rear-naked choke with the arm in, but Zalal managed to survive the submission attempt.
Zalal repeatedly tried to turn and face Sterling, but the former champion stayed one step ahead, shutting down each escape. In the process, Zalal briefly gave up mount with just over a minute to go, a position Sterling capitalized on by landing more ground-and-pound.
Zalal eventually worked back to his feet, but Sterling remained aggressive, attacking with heavy shots up top and knees to the body. The round closed with Zalal pressing Sterling against the fence, looking to stall the action and limit further damage.
Round 5 – Zalal looked to generate offense on the feet, throwing with intent, but the power wasn’t quite there at that stage. Sterling weathered the brief surge before shooting in once again.
This time, Sterling secured the takedown and quickly laced the legs in a Dagestani-style ride, flattening Zalal to the mat. From there, he took the back, locked in a body triangle, and resumed his ground-and-pound with a mix of hammer fists and elbows.
The round closed in that position, capping off a dominant performance for former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.
Official Result: Aljamain Sterling def. Youssef Zalal via Unanimous Decision (49-45×3)
