UFC 288 Staredowns!!!

This weekend (Sat., May 6, 2023) at UFC 288, two of the best wrestlers in mixed martial arts (MMA) collide with Bantamweight gold on the line, meeting in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Headlining the event will be the reigning 135-pound champion, Aljamain Sterling, and the returning former champion of the division as well as the Flyweight division, Henry Cejudo. The bout marks Cejudo’s first since he successfully defended the Bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz via a second-round technical knockout (knee and punches) in May 2020. The co-main event of the evening will see a short-notice barnburner between two of the Welterweight division’s top contenders, Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns.

Also in attendance at today’s (Thurs., May 4, 2023) pre-fight press conference was thrilling top Strawweight contenders, Jessica Andrade and Yan Xiaonan. A win for either competitor will be critical for the title landscape at 115 pounds as the champion, Zhang Weili, appears not to have a clear-cut next challenger.

Before Andrade vs. Yan, one of Featheweight’s future staples, Movsar Evloev, gets back in action when welcoming Lux Fight League veteran, Diego Lopes, to the Octagon. Lopes is filling in for an injured Bryce Mitchell on just one week’s notice.

Opening the main card will be another return in the form of one of MMA’s most legendary family members, Kron Gracie. The submission wizard will look to rebound off his first career loss by taking out Canada’s Charles “Air” Jourdain.

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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 288 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 288: “Sterling vs. Cejudo” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.