Sterling Dominates Zalal at UFC Fight Night 274, Targets Volkanovski Next

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Sterling Dominates Zalal at UFC Fight Night 274, Targets Volkanovski Next

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated Apr 26, 2026 1:49 PM ET

LAS VEGAS — Aljamain Sterling didn’t just win he made a statement. In the main event of UFC Fight Night 274 at the UFC APEX, Sterling (26-5 MMA, 18-5 UFC) delivered a dominant unanimous decision victory over Youssef Zalal (18-6-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC), sweeping the scorecards 49-45, 49-45, 49-45.

Sterling came out sharp on the feet, showing fluid striking early but it was his grappling that ultimately broke the fight open. Round after round, Sterling imposed his will:

Controlled position
Took Zalal’s back repeatedly
Locked in his signature body triangle
Threatened with rear-naked chokes

By Round 4, Zalal was visibly struggling to escape as Sterling hunted for the finish.

Image | Source: Dice City Sports
Aljamain Sterling: “Movsar I’m coming for that ass next. Volkanovski you know I’m coming for that ass.”

Image | Source: Dice City Sports
DC: “Pause.”

Image | Source: Dice City Sports
Aljamain Sterling: “No pause.”

Image | Source: Dice City Sports
pic.twitter.com/kYkQwfebgJ
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 26, 2026

Zalal Shows Heart, But Falls Short

Zalal had his moments most notably in Round 3 but couldn’t match Sterling’s control on the ground. The loss snaps an impressive run for Zalal, who entered the bout on an eight-fight winning streak, including five inside the UFC. Still, his journey from being released and re-signed to headlining a UFC card remains one of the division’s best comeback stories.

Sterling Eyes Gold at 145

With the victory, Sterling strengthens his case for a featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski. A former bantamweight champion with three title defenses, Sterling is now 3-1 at featherweight since moving up following his loss to Sean O’Malley.

And he’s not being subtle about what he wants next. After the fight, Sterling called out both: