Fight Coverage
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo
The UFC Lands In Newark For Our Next Epic Pay Per View. Let's Break Down The Card.
The last time the UFC held a pay-per-view event at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Pitbull and Kesha were atop the charts with “Timber,” the buddy cop movie Ride Along starring Kevin Hart and Ice Cube was in its third week as the biggest box office draw in America, and Renan Barao wrapped up the show by successfully defending his bantamweight title with a first-round stoppage win over Urijah Faber.
As the mixed martial arts leader makes its way back to the home of the New Jersey Devils this weekend, a bantamweight title fight once again sits atop the marquee, as reigning champion Aljamain Sterling faces off with returning former two-division world champion Henry Cejudo in a deeply compelling and potentially legacy-defining matchup for each man.
Backed by a tremendous main card and strong collection of preliminary card bouts, this weekend’s pay-per-view is sure to continue the run of outstanding numbered events so far this year and leave fans, media, and fighters like with plenty to talk about come Sunday morning.
How To Watch UFC 288 In Your Country
Here’s a breakdown of the contests set to hit the UFC cage this weekend.
Main Event: Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo
Location: Prudential Center — Newark, New Jersey
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Other Main Card Matches:
- Belal Muhammad vs Gilbert Burns
- Jessica Andrade vs Yan Xiaonan
- Movsar Evloev vs Bryce Mitchell
- Kron Gracie vs Charles Jourdain
Prelim Matches:
- Drew Dober vs Matt Frevola
- Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Devin Clark
- Khaos Williams vs Rolando Bedoya
- Marina Rodriguez vs Virna Jandiroba
- Braxton Smith vs Parker Porter
- Phil Hawes vs Ikram Aliskerov
- Rafael Estevam vs Zhalgas Zhumagulov
- Joseph Holmes vs Claudio Ribeiro
- Daniel Santos vs Johnny Munoz
Main Event: Aljamain Sterling vs Henry Cejudo
UFC Breakdown | UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo
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UFC Breakdown | UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo
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Bantamweight ruler Aljamain Sterling seeks his third successful title defense in 14 months as he welcomes “Triple C,” Henry Cejudo, back to the Octagon in Saturday night’s main event.
Sterling posted a pair of successful title defenses in 2022, scoring a split decision win over Petr Yan in their highly anticipated rematch at UFC 273 before collecting a second-round stoppage win over TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280 in October. In all, the 33-year-old champion has earned eight straight victories and sports a 22-3 record, including a 9-0 mark in the state of New Jersey.
Cejudo surprised a lot of people by announcing his retirement in the cage following his UFC 250 win over Dominick Cruz, but after just shy of three years away, the former flyweight and bantamweight titleholder is back. The Olympic gold medalist was in the midst of an outstanding run of form when he walked away, having won six straight, the last three by stoppage, so it will be fascinating to see if he can pick up right where he left off this weekend.
Stylistically, this is an intriguing matchup, as Sterling is at his best initiating grappling exchanges and pushing a torrid pace that puts opponents on their heels, while Cejudo is an elite wrestler who leans on his own pace and conditioning, as well. Each man has worked diligently to sharpen their striking over the course of their respective careers, so it’s going to be captivating to see how things play out once the cage door closes and the action gets underway.
RELATED: Henry Cejudo Found The Fire To Fuel His Return | Aljo Chats With Megan Olivi
From a narrative standpoint, the winner of this one could move into top position in the discussion of the greatest UFC bantamweights of all time. A victory for either man is a win over a former champion, and while the 135-pound ranks are currently an absolute shark tank, there has yet to be a titleholder that really dominated the division for an extended period, giving the winner here a strong case for the top spot.
Other Main Card Fights
Belal Muhammad vs Gilbert Burns
While this fight only came together a couple weeks ago, it is an absolute banger and should determine the next title challenger in the welterweight division.
Muhammad enters on a four-fight winning streak and nine-fight unbeaten run, having ended Sean Brady’s undefeated start to his career last time out at UFC 280. Since his short-notice meeting with current champ Leon Edwards two years ago, the 33-year-old Chicagoland native has aced every test put before him, and raised his game at each turn, culminating in his stoppage win over Brady in Abu Dhabi.
RELATED: Best Of Gilbert Burns
Burns jumps right back into the fray just a few weeks after dispatching Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287, joining a short list of fighters to compete on consecutive pay-per-view events. The talented Brazilian already had a pair of victories this year, and if he picks up a third before June, he will be at the top of the list of contenders heading into the second half of 2023.
Both men prefer to lead the dance and dictate the terms of engagement with their pace and pressure, so it’s going to be interesting to see which one can wrestle away control of the exchanges and impose their will on the other.
Jessica Andrade vs Yan Xiaonan
Jessica Andrade drops back down to strawweight for her third appearance already this year, squaring off with Chinese contender Yan Xiaonan in this pivotal pairing.
Last time Andrade fought at strawweight, she latched onto a standing arm-triangle choke against Amanda Lemos and squeezed out a first-round submission win. Though she’s coming off a loss to Erin Blanchfield at flyweight, the Brazilian dynamo remains a perennial threat in the 115-pound ranks, where she’s held the title before and is certainly capable of winning it again.
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Consecutive losses to former champ Carla Esparza and Marina Rodriguez knocked Yan off course momentarily, but a majority decision win over Mackenzie Dern in October got her moving in the right direction again. When firing on all cylinders, Yan is a high output, high pace fighter that keeps things at her range and picks opponents apart, but doing so against Andrade is sure to be a challenge.
With champ Zhang Weili still without a fight booked, this fight takes on greater significance, as a dominant effort from either woman could put them on the short list of potential names to face off with the two-time titleholder later this year.
Movsar Evloev vs Bryce Mitchell
Ranked featherweights originally slated to face off back in November finally share the Octagon this weekend as Movsar Evloev tags in opposite Bryce Mitchell.
Evloev was scratched from this matchup last fall due to a knee injury, but replaces Jonathan Pearce here, looking to add to his perfect 16-0 record. The 29-year-old Russian has gone 6-0 in the UFC and is coming off his best performance to date — a unanimous decision win over rankings stalwart Dan Ige last June.
Mitchell got moved back a month and paired off with Ilia Topuria when his initial bout with Evloev was scrapped, resulting in the former Ultimate Fighter contestant catching a second-round submission loss. It was the first time “Thug Nasty” had been beaten since his semifinal loss to Brad Katona on the long-running reality TV competition, and you best believe he has no intentions of having this progress into a losing streak.
These are two of the best emerging talents in the division and a compelling fight that is every bit as intriguing as the originally proposed pairing between Mitchell and Pearce. The winner will take a step forward in the competitive 145-pound ranks, while the vanquished fighter will be forced to regroup heading into the summer.
Kron Gracie vs Charles Jourdain
Charles Jourdain Wins By TKO | UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Muhammad
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Charles Jourdain Wins By TKO | UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Muhammad
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Kron Gracie ends a more than three-year hiatus on Saturday, facing off with French-Canadian action fighter Charles Jourdain in the main card opener.
Gracie began his MMA career with five straight victories, including a first-round submission win over Alex Caceres in his UFC debut in February 2019. Later that year, he stepped in with veteran Cub Swanson, suffering a unanimous decision defeat, and he has been M.I.A. since.
Elite MMA Coaches Break Down Sterling vs Cejudo Main Event
The 27-year-old Jourdain began last year with a slick first-round submission win over Lando Vannata, but dropped consecutive decisions to Shane Burgos and Nathaniel Wood to close out the year. He’s wildly entertaining, but has struggled to have consistent success inside the Octagon, arriving in Newark with a 4-5-1 record through his first 10 UFC appearances.
Will Gracie return to his grappling roots and get back in the win column or can “Air” Jourdain keep it standing and secure a victory for himself?
Prelim Fights
Drew Dober vs Matt Frevola
It’s a meeting of all-action lightweights to wrap up the prelims, as Drew Dober takes on Matt Frevola. The 34-year-old Dober enters on a three-fight winning streak, having earned stoppages in all three contests, while the Serra-Longo Fight Team member Frevola has garnered back-to-back first-round finishes ahead of this one.
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Devin Clark
Talented light heavyweights Kennedy Nzechukwu and Devin Clark meet in his clash of athletes looking to take another step forward in the 205-pound weight class. Nzechukwu picked up stoppage wins over Karl Roberson and Ion Cutelaba after dropping a split decision to start his 2022 campaign and looks to build on that momentum here. Last time out, Clark rebounded from a loss to undefeated Russian Azamat Murzakanov with a unanimous decision victory over Da-un Jung.
Minty Bets | UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo
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Minty Bets | UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo
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Khaos Williams vs Rolando Bedoya
Khaos Williams returns to action for the first time in 364 days, welcoming Rolando Bedoya to the Octagon for the first time in his potentially explosive welterweight matchup. The 29-year-old Williams has gone 4-2 to begin his UFC tenure, earning three finishes while dropping a pair of close, competitive decisions. Bedoya arrives on the big stage riding an 11-fight winning streak, but he’s faced limited opposition and takes a considerable step up in competition this weekend.
Marina Rodriguez vs Virna Jandiroba
Brazilians Marina Rodriguez and Virna Jandiroba clash in this showdown of ranked strawweights on Saturday’s prelims. Rodriguez looked primed to challenge for championship gold after beating Yan at UFC 272, but a stoppage loss to Amanda Lemos in November pressed pause on those ambitions. Jandiroba returns for the first time in almost a year, aiming to build off her unanimous decision win over Angela Hill and leapfrog her countrywoman in the rankings.
How To Watch UFC 288 In Your Country
Braxton Smith vs Parker Porter
Newcomer Braxton Smith looks to add to his run of quick finishes as he steps in against veteran Parker Porter in UFC 288 heavyweight action. The 33-year-old Smith dropped his pro debut to Chase Sherman way back in 2014, but has rattled off five straight first-round wins since returning to action at the end of last May. Porter pushed his winning streak to three with a victory over Alan Baudot to start last year, but has since been stopped in back-to-back outings against Jailton Almeida and Junior Tafa.
Phil Hawes vs Ikram Aliskerov
Middleweight graduates of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) meet here as Phil Hawes welcomes Ikram Aliskerov to the UFC roster. Hawes has been hit-and-miss since graduating to the Octagon, posting a 4-2 record overall, but having been stopped in two of his last three appearances. Aliskerov quickly submitted Mario Souza after depositing the Brazilian on the canvas to claim his UFC contract, and looks to add to his five-fight winning streak the weekend with a victory over Hawes.
UFC 288 FREE FIGHTS: Belal Muhammad vs Sean Brady | Gilbert Burns vs Jorge Masvidal | Aljamain Sterling vs Cory Sandhagen | Aljamain Sterling vs TJ Dillashaw | Henry Cejudo vs Dominick Cruz | Henry Cejudo vs Marlon Moraes
Rafael Estevam vs Zhalgas Zhumagulov
Brazilian Rafael Estevam makes his UFC debut this weekend, squaring off with Zhalgas Zhumagulov. Estevam impressed against Joao Elias last fall in Las Vegas, collecting a contract with a second-round stoppage win to move to 11-0 overall. Zhumagulov has struggled to earn positive results through his first six UFC appearances, but the veteran from Kazakhstan is a perennial tough out who should give Estevam everything he can handle in his debut.
Joseph Holmes vs Claudio Ribeiro
Middleweights Joseph Holmes and Claudio Ribeiro face off early on Saturday’s fight card, with each man looking to get back in the win column. Holmes went 1-2 in his rookie year on the roster in 2022, sandwiching a win over Alen Amedovski between losses to Jamie Pickett and Junyong Park. Ribeiro made waves with a 25-second knockout win on Dana White’s Contender Series, but came out on the wrong side of a stoppage in his debut against Abdul Razak Alhassan in January.
Daniel Santos vs Johnny Munoz
The action at UFC 288 gets underway in the bantamweight division with Daniel Santos taking on Johnny Munoz. Santos earned a come-from-behind, second-round stoppage win over John Castaneda last time out, while Munoz out-hustled Liudvik Sholinian to collect his second UFC victory. Both men are action-oriented and should combine to provide an exciting start to Saturday’s festivities.
UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo took place live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on May 6, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass
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