UFC is again within the Backyard State on Saturday night time with an fascinating title tilt on faucet. Bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling seems to be to safe a signature win when he takes on former two-division champion Henry Cejudo in the primary occasion of UFC 288 from the Prudential Middle in Newark, New Jersey. Cejudo will finish a close to three-year absence when he makes the stroll out to the Octagon.
Sterling has carried the UFC bantamweight championship out of his final three fights, however a championship-defining win nonetheless eludes him. Sterling is definitely one of the best fighter within the division, however his performances are sometimes overshadowed by circumstance. He took the title off Yan through disqualification in a struggle he was dropping, his break up choice win within the rematch lacked oomph and his title protection towards TJ Dillashaw was marred by Dillashaw’s pre-existing shoulder damage.
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As with every UFC pay-per-view, UFC 288 is just not a one-fight card. The co-main occasion is a title eliminator within the welterweight division, with Gilbert Burns making a fast return after his UFC 287 victory to face Belal Muhammad. Muhammad has been idle since a TKO win over Sean Brady in October and was observing Ramadan when he obtained the decision on quick discover to fill in.
“It is the story of my life and perhaps the story of Belal’s life too,” Burns informed CBS Sports activities. “I am type of getting used to not getting the simple manner. It is simply who I’m. If I have to work somewhat more durable, it’s what it’s. I do not get annoyed anymore and I am not a complainer. I am a employee. Once they mentioned I can not do it, as an alternative of asking, ‘Why not, why him? I mentioned, ‘What do I’ve to do?’ That is how I strategy it.”
CBS Sports activities will even have dwell protection of the struggle with round-by-round scoring and blow-by-blow updates to maintain you updated all through the night time.
The undercard additionally options the return of former ladies’s strawweight queen Jessica Andrade as she takes on Xiaonan Yan. Andrade, 31, has bounced backwards and forwards between 115 and 125 kilos in her latest fights. After a failed bid for the flyweight title in 2021, Andrade received three in a row towards Cynthia Calvillo and Lauren Murphy at flyweight and Amanda Leemos at strawweight. She got here up quick in a short-notice alternative towards Erin Blanchfield at 125 kilos in February, however a win on Saturday will get her proper again within the dialog.
Under is the entire struggle card for UFC 288 together with the most recent odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Verify again all week lengthy for the most recent information, options and different content material round this large occasion.
UFC 288 struggle card, odds
- Henry Cejudo -120 vs. Aljamain Sterling (c) +100, bantamweight world championship
- Gilbert Burns -125 vs. Belal Muhammad +105, welterweights
- Jessica Andrade -195 vs. Xiaonan Yan +162, ladies’s strawweights
- Movsar Evloev -900 vs. Diego Lopes +600, featherweights
- Charles Jourdain -165 vs. Kron Gracie +140, featherweights
- Drew Dober -210 vs. Matt Frevola +175, lightweights
- Kennedy Nzechukwu -190 vs. Devin Clark +155, mild heavyweights
- Khaos Williams -310 vs. Rolando Bedoya +250, welterweights
- Marina Rodriguez -130 vs. Virna Jandiroba +110, ladies’s strawweights
- Parker Porter def. Braxton Smith through first-round TKO (punches)
- Ikram Aliskerov def. Phil Hawes through first-round knockout (punch)
- Claudio Ribeiro def. Joseph Holmes through second-round TKO (punches)
UFC 288 information
- Date: Might 6
- Location: Prudential Middle — Newark
- Begin time: 10 p.m. ET (Foremost card)
- Tips on how to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 288 countdown
Who wins UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo? And the way precisely does every struggle finish? Go to SportsLine now to get detailed picks on each struggle at UFC 288, all from the MMA skilled who profited greater than $6,200 in 2022, and discover out.