UFC 288
UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo | ||||
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Promotion | Ultimate Fighting Championship | |||
Date | May 6, 2023 | |||
Venue | Prudential Center | |||
City | Newark, New Jersey, United States | |||
Attendance | 17,559[1] | |||
Total gate | $5,182,210.36[1] | |||
Event chronology | ||||
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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]
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 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 | |||||||
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Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Notes | |||
Bantamweight | Aljamain Sterling (c) | def. | Henry Cejudo | Decision (split) (47–48, 48–47, 48–47) | 5 | 5:00 | [a] |
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 |
- ^ For the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
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
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b Vipin Raghuwanshi (2023-03-03). "Reported location for UFC 288, PPV heading back to Newark". itnwwe.com. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Mike Heck (2023-05-05). "Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs. Rafael Estevam scrapped from UFC 288". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
- ^ Alex Behunin (2023-02-12). "Bryce Mitchell vs. Jonathan Pearce booked for UFC 288 on May 6". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
- ^ Nolan King (2023-04-13). "Injury forces Jonathan Pearce out of UFC 288 bout vs. Bryce Mitchell". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Tim Bissell (2023-02-21). "Charles Oliveira to fight Beneil Dariush at UFC 288". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
- ^ Mike Bohn (2023-04-14). "Report: Charles Oliveira injured, out of UFC 288; Beneil Dariush fight postponed". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ Mike Bohn (2023-04-20). "Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush rescheduled for UFC 289 in Vancouver". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Jay Anderson (2023-05-04). "Daniel Santos vs. Johnny Munoz Jr. scratched from UFC 288 due to injury". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2023-03-07.
- ^ Dan Hiergesell (2023-05-07). "UFC 288 bonuses: Matt Frevola leads $50K winners with violent TKO". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
- ^ Nolan King (2023-06-27). "UFC heavyweight Braxton Smith suspended for exogenous testosterone administration". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2023-06-27.