UFC 288

UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 6, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.[2]

UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo
The poster for UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo
Information
PromotionUltimate Fighting Championship
DateMay 6, 2023 (2023-05-06)
VenuePrudential Center
CityNewark, New Jersey, United States
Attendance17,559[1]
Total gate$5,182,210.36[1]
Event chronology
UFC on ESPN: Song vs. Simón UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo UFC on ABC: Rozenstruik vs. Almeida

Background

The event marked the promotion's ninth visit to Newark and first since UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Lawler in August 2019.[2]

A UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between current champion Aljamain Sterling and former UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight Champion Henry Cejudo (also 2008 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling) headlined the event.[3]

Zhalgas Zhumagulov and Nate Maness were expected to meet in a flyweight bout at the event.[4] However, Maness pulled out in early April due to injury and was replaced by Rafael Estevam, who was originally scheduled to fight two weeks earlier at UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. Blaydes before an injury also took his opponent.[5] In turn, the bout was scratched the day before the event due to Estevam having weight management issues.[6]

A featherweight bout between Bryce Mitchell and Jonathan Pearce was scheduled for the event.[7] However, Pearce was forced to withdraw from the event due to injury.[8] He was replaced by Movsar Evloev.[9] Mitchell and Evloev were previously scheduled to headline UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos in November 2022, but Evloev withdrew due to injury.[10] In turn, Mitchell withdrew on the week of the event for an undisclosed shoulder injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Diego Lopes.[11]

A lightweight bout between former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush was expected to take place as the co-main event.[12] However, Oliveira withdrew due to an undisclosed injury.[13] The fight was later rescheduled and moved to UFC 289.[14]

Former UFC Welterweight Championship challenger Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad competed in a five-round welterweight bout in the co-main event.[15]

A bantamweight bout between Daniel Santos and Johnny Muñoz Jr. was expected to take place at the event,[16] but it was scratched after Santos withdrew due to an undisclosed injury.[17]

At the weigh-ins, Joseph Holmes weighed in at 189 pounds, three pounds over the middleweight non-title fight limit. His bout proceeded at catchweight and he was fined 20% of his purse which went to his opponent Claudio Ribeiro.[18]

Results
Main Card
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Bantamweight Aljamain Sterling (c) def. Henry Cejudo Decision (split) (47–48, 48–47, 48–47) 5 5:00 [lower-alpha 1]
Welterweight Belal Muhammad def. Gilbert Burns Decision (unanimous) (50–45, 49–46, 49–46) 5 5:00
Women's Strawweight Yan Xiaonan def. Jéssica Andrade KO (punches) 1 2:20
Featherweight Movsar Evloev def. Diego Lopes Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) 3 5:00
Featherweight Charles Jourdain def. Kron Gracie Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) 3 5:00
Preliminary card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Lightweight Matt Frevola def. Drew Dober TKO (punches) 1 4:08
Light Heavyweight Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Devin Clark Technical Submission (guillotine choke) 2 2:28
Welterweight Khaos Williams def. Rolando Bedoya Decision (split) (27–30, 29–28, 29–28) 3 5:00
Women's Strawweight Virna Jandiroba def. Marina Rodriguez Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) 3 5:00
Early preliminary card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
Heavyweight Parker Porter def. Braxton Smith TKO (punches) 1 2:10
Middleweight Ikram Aliskerov def. Phil Hawes KO (punches) 1 2:10
Catchweight (189 lb) Claudio Ribeiro def. Joseph Holmes TKO (punches) 2 3:21
  1. For the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

[19]

Bonus awards

The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses.[20]

  • Fight of the Night: Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes
  • Performance of the Night: Yan Xiaonan and Matt Frevola

Aftermath

On June 27, it was announced by United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that Braxton Smith was suspended for two years after a urine sample he submitted tested positive for exogenous administration of testosterone and its precursors in two out-of-competition tests on April 19 and May 4, and one in-competition test May 6.[21]

See also

References
  1. Mike Bohn (2023-05-07). "UFC 288 post-event facts: Aljamain Sterling takes sole possession of 135-pound wins record". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  2. Vipin Raghuwanshi (2023-03-03). "Reported location for UFC 288, PPV heading back to Newark". itnwwe.com. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  3. Dan Hiergesell (2023-03-10). "Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo official for UFC 288 on May 6 in New Jersey". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2023-03-10.
  4. Harvey Leonard (2023-03-11). "UFC matchmaking bulletin (3/6-3/11): featherweight returns for first fight since 2019". mmanews.com. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  5. Nolan King and Farah Hannoun (2023-04-10). "Rafael Estevam loses UFC Fight Night 222 opponent, now meets Zhalgas Zhumagulov at UFC 288". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  6. Mike Heck (2023-05-05). "Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs. Rafael Estevam scrapped from UFC 288". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  7. Alex Behunin (2023-02-12). "Bryce Mitchell vs. Jonathan Pearce booked for UFC 288 on May 6". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  8. Nolan King (2023-04-13). "Injury forces Jonathan Pearce out of UFC 288 bout vs. Bryce Mitchell". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  9. Nolan King (2023-04-15). "Movsar Evloev steps in to fight Bryce Mitchell at UFC 288 in Newark". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  10. Damon Martin (2022-10-13). "Movsar Evloev out of upcoming main event fight against Bryce Mitchell on Nov. 5". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  11. Alexander K. Lee (2023-05-02). "Bryce Mitchell out of UFC 288, Diego Lopes steps in to fight Movsar Evloev". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  12. Tim Bissell (2023-02-21). "Charles Oliveira to fight Beneil Dariush at UFC 288". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  13. Mike Bohn (2023-04-14). "Report: Charles Oliveira injured, out of UFC 288; Beneil Dariush fight postponed". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  14. Mike Bohn (2023-04-20). "Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush rescheduled for UFC 289 in Vancouver". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  15. Mike Bohn (2023-04-20). "UFC 288 adds Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad as short notice five-round co-headliner". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  16. Nolan King (2023-02-06). "Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 30-Feb. 5)". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  17. Jay Anderson (2023-05-04). "Daniel Santos vs. Johnny Munoz Jr. scratched from UFC 288 due to injury". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
  18. Staff (2023-05-05). "UFC 288 weigh-in results: One fight scrapped, one fighter heavy, but main event title fight official". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  19. "UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
  20. Dan Hiergesell (2023-05-07). "UFC 288 bonuses: Matt Frevola leads $50K winners with violent TKO". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  21. Nolan King (2023-06-27). "UFC heavyweight Braxton Smith suspended for exogenous testosterone administration". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
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