UFC Vegas 116 Weigh-In Results: Sterling, Zalal Official
Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and Youssef Zalal officially weighed in Friday for their featherweight main event at UFC Vegas 116, with both fighters hitting their marks at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Sterling registered 146 pounds, while Zalal came in at 145.5, as MMA Fighting reported. The matchup marks the first five-round headliner for Zalal and Sterling’s first appearance of 2026.
All 26 fighters on Saturday’s Paramount+ card cleared the scale without incident. In the co-main event, bantamweight contenders Norma Dumont and Joselyne Edwards both weighed 135.5 pounds for their short-notice pairing. Edwards stepped in after an injury to Yana Santos, creating a high-stakes bout between two fighters who have struggled with weight in the past. According to MMA Mania, Nevada now allows a two-hour weigh-in window for all events in the state.
Sterling Chases Featherweight Title Shot
Sterling enters Saturday’s bout ranked No. 4 at featherweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, with Zalal at No. 9. The 36-year-old former champion moved up from bantamweight after losing to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in 2023 and has posted a 2-1 record at 145 pounds, most recently stopping Brian Ortega by decision. His lone defeat came against unbeaten Movsar Evloev. “I think the key to success is my consistency,” Dumont told UFC.com ahead of her co-main slot. “As soon as the fight’s over, I come back, I evaluate where the holes were.”
Zalal has rattled off five straight wins since returning to the UFC in 2024, including submission victories over Josh Emmett and Calvin Kattar. The Moroccan has never competed in a five-round fight and will test his gas tank against Sterling’s relentless wrestling attack. Sterling has landed 17 takedowns across his three featherweight appearances but has earned just one post-fight bonus in 22 UFC outings.
The UFC Vegas 116 prelims stream on Paramount+ at 5 p.m. ET, with the main card following at 8 p.m. ET.
Original reporting:
- mmafighting.com — UFC Vegas 116 weigh-in results: Aljamain Sterling, Youssef Zalal set for featherweight contender main event | MMA Fighting
- mmafighting.com — UFC Vegas 116 weigh-in video: Sterling vs. Zalal | MMA Fighting
- mmamania.com — Live: UFC Vegas 116 early weigh ins video results | Sterling vs. Zalal | MMA Mania
- mmamania.com — UFC Vegas 116 preview: ‘Sterling vs. Zalal’ main event predictions | MMA Mania
- sherdog.com — UFC Vegas 116 weigh-in results: Aljamain Sterling’s Octagon return set