UFC Vegas 116 (UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs. Zalal / UFC Fight Night 274) is scheduled at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada (Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Valley), United States.
Prelims begin at 5:00 PM ET / 2:00 PM PT, with the main card starting at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT (7:00 PM CDT). The event streams live on Paramount+. This women’s strawweight bout opens the preliminary card (fight 1 of 13).
The card is headlined by a featherweight bout between former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and surging contender Youssef Zalal. The bout you asked about—Talita Alencar vs. Julia Polastri (women’s strawweight, 115 lbs)—is a late addition that kicks off the entire show.
Injury Report
No injuries have been reported for Talita Alencar or Julia Polastri. Both fighters are expected to compete at full capacity. While the broader UFC Vegas 116 card has seen multiple late changes and withdrawals (including several other bouts adjusted in mid-April), this strawweight opener remains intact and on schedule.
Fighter Matchup: Talita Alencar vs. Julia Polastri (Women’s Strawweight – 3 Rounds)
Talita Alencar (“Problem Child,” Brazil, age 35)
Record: 7-1-1 (UFC: 3-1-1)
Height/Reach: 5’1″
Stance: Orthodox (grappling-heavy)
Recent Form (last 4 fights): Win (submission – rear-naked choke, Rd 3 vs. Ariane Carnelossi – Nov 1, 2025); Win (unanimous decision vs. Vanessa Demopoulos – Apr 5, 2025); Loss (unanimous decision vs. Stephanie Luciano – Aug 10, 2024); Win (split decision vs. Rayanne dos Santos – Dec 9, 2023).
Key Strengths: Elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist with strong submission game (multiple RNC finishes); excellent takedown defense and scrambling ability. Has never been finished professionally and averages solid control time on the mat.
Fight History Notes: Alencar entered the UFC with hype as a prospect and has gone 3-1-1 inside the Octagon, picking up back-to-back wins over solid competition (Demopoulos and Carnelossi). Her lone UFC loss came via decision to Luciano; she is 7-0-1 against everyone else and brings momentum from two straight victories.
Julia Polastri (“Psycho,” Brazil, age 28)
Record: 14-5-0 (UFC: ~3-2)
Height/Reach: 5’2″ (1″ height advantage)
Stance: Orthodox
Recent Form (last 4 fights): Win (KO/TKO – punches, Rd 3 vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz – Oct 11, 2025); Loss (unanimous decision vs. Loopy Godinez – Mar 29, 2025); Win (split decision vs. Cory McKenna – Oct 12, 2024); Loss (unanimous decision vs. Josefine Knutsson – Jun 15, 2024).
Key Strengths: Well-rounded striker with legitimate power (5 career KO/TKO wins, 36% of victories); dangerous on the feet and capable of grinding out decisions or finishing late. Complete skill set with no major holes and strong durability (never been submitted or knocked out).
Fight History Notes: Polastri has established herself as a ranked strawweight contender with notable UFC wins (including the highlight-reel TKO over Kowalkiewicz). She is 2-2 in her last four but has shown the ability to bounce back and perform against top competition.
Style Breakdown: A classic Brazilian strawweight clash between an elite grappler/submission threat (Alencar) and a powerful, well-rounded striker (Polastri). Both fighters are exceptionally durable—neither has ever been finished in their pro careers—setting up a potential “guaranteed war” that could go the distance or feature late fireworks if Polastri’s striking volume overwhelms Alencar’s takedown attempts. Alencar will look to close distance and drag it to the mat; Polastri will use her slight size edge and hands to keep it standing and rack up damage.
FIGHT ODDS
Talita Alencar + 190
Julia Polastri – 260
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, April 24, 2026
