Youssef Zalal wants to catapult himself to the top of the UFC featherweight division, and he thinks beating Aljamain Sterling would give him a big resume boost.
Zalal and Sterling are scheduled to clash in the UFC Vegas 116 main event on Saturday. It’s by far the biggest bout in Zalal’s pro MMA career. For Sterling, it’s an opportunity to set a young contender back while making a case for a title shot. “Funk Master” believes he can face reigning 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski next with an impressive outing.
Speaking to reporters during the UFC Vegas 116 media day, Zalal said that while his accolades don’t compare to Sterling’s, he plans to take some of that shine for himself (h/t MMAJunkie).
“It’s crazy, it’s making my resume look small as sh*t,” Zalal said. “It’s pretty crazy, I saw they were like, ‘Ah, Youssef hasn’t fought nobody. The only win he has is Josh Emmett,’ and all this stuff. They’re like, ‘(Calvin) Kattar is 0-5,’ and all this. I was like, ‘Those guys fought those guys as well! I don’t know what to tell you!’ This is my time, I was young, these guys are in the f*cking UFC. I was like, it is what it is – but that’s the beauty of this sport. You get to go against a guy like that, beat him, and you get to steal his resume pretty much.”
Zalal is riding an eight-fight winning streak. He scored a first-round submission finish over Josh Emmett back in Oct. 2025. Prior to that victory, he earned a unanimous decision over Calvin Kattar. It’s the only fight where Zalal has gone the distance throughout his winning streak.
What is your final prediction for the UFC Vegas 116 headliner between Youssef Zalal and Aljamain Sterling? Tell us in the comments below, and stick with BJPenn.com for live coverage of Saturday’s event.