Marc Montoya’s protégé faces perhaps his toughest test to date and looks to move one step closer to contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight division when he takes on Aljamain Sterling in the main event of UFC Fight Night 274 on Saturday at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Zalal, 29, is thrust into the spotlight thanks to a career-best eight-match winning streak, which now spans more than 1,200 days. He last saw action at UFC 320, where he floored Team Alpha Male’s Josh Emmett with an armbar just 98 seconds into their Oct. 4 match. It was Zalal’s fastest finish as a pro and propelled him into the Top 10 of the rankings at 145 pounds.
A 13-fight lineup at UFC Fight Night 274 features several rising fighters, with Zalal at the front of the line. Four others to monitor:
Violent predispositions have made it impossible to ignore Edwards. The Panamanian looks for her latest potential victim when she takes on Norma Dumont in a three-round women’s bantamweight co-main event that provides a platform for two potential contenders at 135 pounds. After a rather unremarkable start to his UFC tenure, Edwards stepped on the accelerator and put together a four-game winning streak. All four have resulted in finals, highlighted by first-round knockouts of Chelsea Chandler and Priscila Cachoeira. Edwards, 30, last suited up on Feb. 21, when she dispatched Nora Cornolle with a rear-naked choke midway through her partner’s second round at UFC Fight Night 267. The Kings MMA representative held titles in the King of the Cage and Panama Fight League promotions before coming to the UFC.
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Montague may be labeled a late bloomer, but she certainly seems ready, willing and able to make up for lost time. The undefeated Kiwi, trained by American Top Team, will make her second assignment inside the octagon when she takes on Mayra Bueno Silva in a three-round women’s bantamweight preliminary. Montague, 32, reappears with a perfect 7-0 record. The Professional Fighters League alum last put on the gloves at UFC Fight Night 260, where she defeated Luana Carolina via three-round unanimous decision on September 27. The first New Zealand woman to compete in the UFC, Montague did not begin formal training until she was in her 20s.
Martinetti was relatively unknown until he appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series and emerged as the last man standing in a notable 15-minute shootout with Mark Vologdin on October 7. The 30-year-old Entram Gym product makes his highly anticipated promotional debut against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 18 finalist Davey Grant in a three-round bantamweight attraction. Martinetti, a star on the regional circuit in his native Mexico, enters the Octagon armed with an impressive 17-1 record and the wind of a 15-fight winning streak behind him. The former Ultimate Warrior Challenge champion has achieved more than half (10) of his 17 career victories by knockout, TKO or submission.
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Although he has yet to fully take off at the 125-pound weight class, Filho continues to show signs of development. The Nova Uniao representative looks for his second win in as many outings when he takes on Cody Durden, a late replacement for Lucas Rocha, in a three-round flyweight battle on the undercard. Filho, 32, last competed on Oct. 11, when he finished off Clayton Carpenter with a kimura in the first round of their UFC Fight Night 261 matchup. The former Shooto Brazil champion now has 16 finishes among his 17 professional wins, nine of the first-round variety. Filho got his ticket to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022.