UFC is back in the Garden State on Saturday night with an interesting title tilt on tap. Bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling looks to secure a signature win when he takes on former two-division champion Henry Cejudo in the main event of UFC 288 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Cejudo will end a near three-year absence when he makes the walk out to the Octagon.
Sterling has carried the UFC bantamweight championship out of his last three fights, but a championship-defining win still eludes him. Sterling is certainly the best fighter in the division, but his performances are often overshadowed by circumstance. He took the title off Yan via disqualification in a fight he was losing, his split decision win in the rematch lacked oomph and his title defense against TJ Dillashaw was marred by Dillashaw’s pre-existing shoulder injury.
Cejudo retired as UFC bantamweight champion and returns three days short of the three-year anniversary of his last fight, a win over Dominick Cruz. Cejudo is the most accomplished wrestler in UFC history and developed sharp boxing in the late stages of his UFC run. The benefactor of an immediate title shot over a queue of deserving contenders, Cejudo is talented enough to give Sterling a run for his money.
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UFC 288 found itself an interesting co-main event in the aftermath of a terrible blow. What appeared to be a lightweight title eliminator between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush was scrapped from the May 6 card, eventually being rebooked for UFC 289 one month later. In its absence, Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns agreed to step up on 16 days’ notice. The highly-touted welterweight contenders will meet in a five-round fight that should position the winner for an eventual title shot.
The rest of the undercard fills out with some intriguing battles. Former strawweight queen Jessica Andrade is back when she takes on rising contender Xiaonan Yan. A potential tilt between Movsar Evloev and Bryce Mitchell fell apart when Mitchell was forced to withdraw. Instead, Evloev will take on Diego Lopes. And the Gracie legacy lives on when Kron Gracie makes his return from a near four-year absence to face Charles Jourdain in the PPV opener.
Below is the complete fight card for UFC 288 along with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.
UFC 288 fight card, odds
Henry Cejudo -115 vs. Aljamain Sterling (c) -105, bantamweight world championship
Gilbert Burns -130 vs. Belal Muhammad +110, welterweights
Jessica Andrade -190 vs. Xiaonan Yan +160, women’s strawweights
Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes, featherweights
Charles Jourdain -180 vs. Kron Gracie +152, featherweights
Drew Dober -220 vs. Matt Frevola +180, lightweights
Kennedy Nzechukwu -190 vs. Devin Clark +160, light heavyweights
Khaos Williams -300 vs. Rolando Bedoya +240, welterweights
Marina Rodriguez -130 vs. Virna Jandiroba +110, women’s strawweights
Parker Porter -175 vs. Braxton Smith +145, heavyweights
Ikram Aliskerov -220 vs. Phil Hawes +180, middleweights
Rafael Estevam -170 vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov +145, flyweights
Claudio Ribeiro -190 vs. Joseph Holmes +160, middleweights
Daniel Santos -180 vs. Johnny Munoz +150, bantamweights
UFC 288 info
Date: May 6
May 6 Location: Prudential Center — Newark
Prudential Center — Newark Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
10 p.m. ET (Main card) How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 288 countdown