Reminder: We will deliver live round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 288’s entire five-fight pay-per-view (PPV) main card RIGHT HERE, beginning at 10 p.m. ET.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Newark, N.J., TONIGHT (Sat., May 6, 2023) for the first time in more than three years with a five-round pay-per-view (PPV) main event between Bantamweight roost-ruler, Aljamain Sterling, welcoming back former 125- and 135-pound “double champ,” Henry Cejudo. In UFC 288’s PPV super short-notice co-main event, former 170-pound title challenger, Gilbert Burns, will lock horns with red-hot No. 4-ranked contender, Belal Muhammad, in a Welterweight showdown that is supposed to earn the winner the next title shot (after Colby Covington). We’ve got Kron Gracie, Jessica Andrade and Movsar Evloev, too!
IT’S AN HISTORIC BANTAMWEIGHT BATTLE!
Before that action begins at 10 p.m. ET later this evening, though, MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 288 “Prelims” undercard below, beginning with the first fight at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET). We will then cover UFC 288’s PPV main card in a separate thread right here, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Bet on UFC 288 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Sterling vs. Cejudo.” Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC 288 “Prelims” undercard results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.)
UFC 288 PPV MAIN CARD QUICK RESULTS:
Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo
Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns
Jessica Andrade vs. Xiaonan Yan
Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes
Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain
UFC 288 ESPN/ESPN+ ‘PRELIMS’ QUICK RESULTS:
155 lbs.: Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola
205 lbs.: Devin Clark vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
170 lbs.: Rolando Bedoya vs. Khaos Williams
115 lbs.: Virna Jandiroba vs. Marina Rodriguez
265 lbs.: Parker Porter vs. Braxton Smith — Porter def. Smith by TKO (punches) at 2:10 of Round One
185 lbs.: Phil Hawes vs. Ikram Aliskerov — Aliskerov def. Hawes by KO (punch) at 2:10 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
185 lbs.: Joseph Holmes vs. Claudio Ribeiro — Ribeiro def. Holmes by TKO (punches) at 3:21 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS
UFC 288 ‘PRELIMS’ PLAY-BY-PLAY RESULTS:
155 lbs.: Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
205 lbs.: Devin Clark vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
170 lbs.: Rolando Bedoya vs. Khaos Williams
Round one:
Round two:
Round three:
Final result:
115 lbs.: Virna Jandiroba vs. Marina Rodriguez
Round one: Rodriguez keeping her distance, flicking out her jab. Powerful double-leg puts Jandiroba on top at the base of the fence. Rodriguez fires some elbows before accepting being stuck on her seat. One minute in. Jandiroba trying to work her way higher into a proper mount. Short left hands. Looking for the back, one hook in. More left hands, nearly into mount two minutes in. Jandiroba settles for half guard. Short ground-and-pound. Two minutes to go.
More ground-and-pound from Jandiroba, who latches onto a kimura when Rodriguez tries to make a move. The fence is in the way. She drops it and instead fires elbows with a minute to go. Solid upkick by Rodriguez. Jandiroba comes back down into half guard. Rodriguez trying to throw off her back. 10-9 Jandiroba.
Round two: Ugly spinning back fist attempts by Jandiroba. She ties up, eats a knee. Low single by Jandiroba into a body lock. Rodriguez defending with the whizzer a minute in. Short lefts by Jandiroba. Jandiroba drops for a leg, uses it to take top position two minutes in. Half guard for Jandiroba. Lots of pressure, not many strikes. Two minutes to go.
Jandiroba looking to take side control, does so despite the fence being in the way. One minute to go. Rodriguez trying to hit the body off her back. Elbows from Jandiroba, then a potential north-south choke. Rodriguez escapes and eats elbows until the bell. 10-9 Jandiroba.
Round three:
Final result:
265 lbs.: Parker Porter vs. Braxton Smith
Round one: Smith already loading up on the right hand, turns aside a level change. Smith really putting everything behind his punches. Good underhooks to deny a level change against the fence. Nice counters from Porter a minute in. Big exchange in the center. Smith barreling after him, throwing heat. Stiff jabs by Porter. Clinch uppercuts, nice knee. Smith changes levels and kinda flops to his knees, allowing Porter to get to turtle and then the mount. Porter postures up and Donkey Kongs him until the ref steps in.
Final result: Porter def. Smith by TKO (punches)
185 lbs.: Phil Hawes vs. Ikram Aliskerov
Round one: Trading kicks and jabs to start. Solid kicks by Hawes in the early going. Counter right and body kick a minute in. Another counter right catches Aliskerov throwing. Aliskerov throwing a lot of naked kicks and getting consistently punished for it. Another body kick by Hawes. Aliskerov comes back with a nice combination. Head kick appears to catch Hawes leaning and Aliskerov starts turning up the heat, ultimately finding the mark with a perfect right hand that deactivates Hawes on impact. Hawes slowly disintegrates to the mat and Aliskerov doesn’t even bother to follow up, celebrating his walk-off knockout before the ref even calls it.
Final result: Aliskerov def. Hawes by KO (punch)
185 lbs.: Joseph Holmes vs. Claudio Ribeiro
Round one: Quick jab lands for Holmes. Knee stomps, low kick. Ribeira wading after him, falling short with punches. Hard 1-2 into a takedown by Holmes. Ribeiro pops right back up and puts him on the fence. One minute in. Holmes gets double unders and reverses. Hunting for trips. He changes levels, can’t get anything two minutes in. The crowd’s getting cranky. The announcers are bloviating about how this is the most grueling part of MMA, so take a shot. They separate with just over two minutes to go.
Hard low kick from Ribeiro knocks Holmes off his feet. Holmes fires a 1-2 and Ribeiro wings counters before hitting a double-leg into half guard. Holmes working his way to his feet, stuck on his knees with a minute to go. Ribeiro doing a good job of keeping him down, working towards mount. Low mount against the fence, landing punches. He takes the back in the last 10 seconds and bombs away until the bell, but Holmes manages to survive. 10-9 Ribeiro.
Round two: Ribeiro punches his way back into the clinch and hauls Holmes to the fence. Jockeying for position, Holmes reverses. One minute in. Ribeiro turns, separates, and returns to the center. Both land low kicks. Check hook from Ribeiro. Two minutes in. Ribeiro seemingly loading up on counters while Holmes keeps his distance. Holmes continuing to attack the lead leg. Ribeiro closes the distance with a hard combo and puts him on the fence, then floors him with a hard knee. Holmes eating shots with two minutes to go.
Ribeiro postures out of a potential armbar, then stands over a turtling Holmes and bombs away for the finish.
Final result: Ribeiro def. Holmes by TKO (punches)
Remember: MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 288’s entire five-fight PPV main card RIGHT HERE, beginning 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.