Everything seems to have clicked for YoussefZalal.The Marc Montoya protg faces perhaps his most difficult test todate and tries to move one step closer to contention in theUltimate Fighting Championship featherweight division when hetoes the line against AljamainSterling in the UFC Fight Night 274 main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex inLas Vegas. Zalal, 29, steps into the spotlight on the strength of acareer-best eight-fight winning streak that now spans more than1,200 days. He last saw action at UFC 320, where he put awayTeam Alpha Males Josh Emmettwith an armbar a mere 98 seconds into their Oct. 4 encounter. Itwas Zalals fastest finish as a pro and propelled him into the Top10 rankings at 145 pounds.A 13-fight lineup at UFC Fight Night 274 features several fighterson the rise, with Zalal at the front of the line. Four others tomonitor:JoselyneEdwardsViolent predispositions have made Edwards impossible to ignore. ThePanamanian hunts her latest potential victim when she zeroes in onNormaDumont in a three-round womens bantamweight co-main event thatprovides a platform for two would-be contenders at 135 pounds.After a rather non-descript start to her UFC tenure, Edwards hashit the accelerator and pieced together a run of four straightvictories. All four have resulted in finishes, highlighted byfirst-round knockouts of ChelseaChandler and PriscilaCachoeira. Edwards, 30, last suited up on Feb. 21, when shedispatched NoraCornolle with a rear-naked choke midway through the secondround of their UFC Fight Night 267 pairing. The Kings MMA rep held titles in the King ofthe Cage and Panama Fight League promotions prior to her arrivein the UFC.MichelleMontagueMontague may carry the late-bloomer tag, but she certainly appearsready, willing and able to make up for lost time. The undefeatedAmerican Top Team-trained Kiwi draws her second assignmentinside the Octagon when she takes on MayraBueno Silva in a three-round womens bantamweight prelim.Montague, 32, moves back into view with a perfect 7-0 record intow. The Professional Fighters League alum last strapped on the glovesat UFC Fight Night 260, where she outpointed LuanaCarolina to a unanimous decision across three rounds on Sept.27. Montague, the first woman from New Zealand to compete in theUFC, did not start her formal training until she was 20 yearsold.AdrianLuna MartinettiMartinetti was a relative unknown until he appeared on Dana Whites Contender Series and emerged as the last manstanding in a remarkable 15-minute firefight with MarkVologdin on Oct. 7. The 30-year-old EntramGym product makes his anticipated promotional debut oppositeThe Ultimate Fighter Season 18 finalist Davey Grantin a three-round bantamweight attraction. Martinetti, a star on theregional circuit in his native Mexico, enters the Octagon armedwith an impressive 17-1 record and the wind of a 15-fight winningstreak at his back. The ex-Ultimate Warrior Challenge champion hassecured more than half (10) of his 17 career victories by knockout,technical knockout or submission.JafelFilhoThough he has yet to fully take off in the 125-pound weight class,Filho continues to show signs of development. The Nova Uniao rep seeks his second win in as many outings when helocks horns with CodyDurdena late-notice replacement for LucasRochain a three-round flyweight battle on the undercard.Filho, 32, last competed on Oct. 11, when he dismissed ClaytonCarpenter with a kimura in the first round of their UFC FightNight 261 confrontation. The former ShootoBrazil champion now boasts 16 finishes among his 17professional victories, nine of the first-round variety. Filhopunched his ticket to the UFC via Dana Whites Contender Series in2022.