UFC Vegas 116 went own last night (Sat., April 25, 2026) inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, which saw Aljamain Sterling defeat Youssef Zalal via unanimous decision (full recap here). In Paramount+’s co-headliner, Joselyn Edwards defeated Norma Dumont (also via unanimous decision), while Ryan Spann kicked off the main card with a stellar knockout win over Marcus Buchecha (see it again here).
Winner: Aljamain Sterling
Who He Should Face Next: Yair Rodriguez
Sterling vs. Rodriguez would be an incredible fight to make next. Sterling is currently ranked No. 5, while Rodriguez is sitting just one spot in front of him (No. 4). Diego Lopes (No. 2) is tagged to face Steve Garcia at UFC Freedom 250, while Lerone Murphy (No. 3) is coming off a tough loss to Movsar Evloev, who is now in line for the next shot at the title (right?). Sterling wants Alexander Volkanovski next, but I just don’t see that happening. If he defeats Rodriguez, though, then a 145-pound title shot would make much more sense.
Winner: Joselyn Edwards
Who She Should Face Next: Raquel Pennington
Edwards secured the biggest win of her mixed martial arts (MMA) career, defeating No. 3-seeded Norma Dumont via unanimous decision. It stands to reason that Edwards will now make a huge leap into the Top 5. That’s the reason a fight against Pennington could be a viable option. Pennington hasn’t competed since losing her Bantamweight strap to Julianna Pena back in Oct. 2024. Ironically enough, she was set to return against Dumont before she was forced out of the fight for undisclosed reasons in late 2025.
Winner: Rafa Garcia
Who He Should Face Next: Drew Dober
Garcia notched a huge win in “Sin City,” ending Alexander Hernandez’s win streak at six, which means another big fight could be in order. And one against Dober just sounds like so much fun. Dober is coming off a big win of his own over Michael Johnson, knocking him out at UFC 326 (see it again here). This has banger written all over it and the winner could be looking at a spot in the Top 15.
Winner: Raoni Barcelos
Who He Should Face Next: Raul Rosas Jr.
Barcelos, 38, proved that age is nothing but a number, extending his hot streak by defeating Montel Jackson via split decision, his fifth straight win. Since Jackson was ranked No. 14 coming into the fight, it stands to reason that Barcelos will take that spot. That means a fight against Rosas Jr. could be appropriate. “El Nino Problema” is currently ranked No. 13 and is also on a five-fight win streak. It would be a battle between a crafty veteran against a young, rising contender … book it.
Winner: Ryan Spann
Who He Should Face Next: Tyrell Fortune
Spann improved his record to 2-1 as a Heavyweight after sleeping Marcus Buchecha, winning two straight after losing his divisional debut. “Superman” seems to be very comfortable not having to cut weight, and the power is most certainly translating now that he’s a bit heavier. I wouldn’t mind a matchup against former Bellator MMA standout, Tyrell Fortune, who made a successful Octagon debut last month by defeating Marcin Tybura.
