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UFC 288

UFC mixed martial arts event in 2023

UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo

The poster for UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo

Ultimate Fighting Championship

May 6, 2023 (2023-05-06)

Prudential Center

Newark, New Jersey, United States

17,559^[1]

$5,182,210.36^[1]

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 CenterinNewark, New Jersey.^[2]

Background[edit]

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

AUFC Bantamweight Championship bout between current champion Aljamain Sterling and former UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight Champion Henry Cejudo 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[edit]

Method

Round

Time

Notes

Aljamain Sterling (c)

def.

Henry Cejudo

Decision (split) (47–48, 48–47, 48–47)

5

5:00

^[a]

Belal Muhammad

def.

Gilbert Burns

Decision (unanimous) (50–45, 49–46, 49–46)

5

5:00

Yan Xiaonan

def.

Jéssica Andrade

KO (punches)

1

2:20

Movsar Evloev

def.

Diego Lopes

Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)

3

5:00

Charles Jourdain

def.

Kron Gracie

Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)

3

5:00

Matt Frevola

def.

Drew Dober

TKO (punches)

1

4:08

Kennedy Nzechukwu

def.

Devin Clark

Technical Submission (guillotine choke)

2

2:28

Khaos Williams

def.

Rolando Bedoya

Decision (split) (27–30, 29–28, 29–28)

3

5:00

Virna Jandiroba

def.

Marina Rodriguez

Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)

3

5:00

Parker Porter

def.

Braxton Smith

TKO (punches)

1

2:10

Ikram Aliskerov

def.

Phil Hawes

KO (punches)

1

2:10

Claudio Ribeiro

def.

Joseph Holmes

TKO (punches)

2

3:21

^[19]

Bonus awards[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

• List of UFC events
• List of current UFC fighters
• 2023 in UFC

References[edit]

• Category:UFC

WikiProject:MMA

UFC multimedia