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UFC 288: Full Fight Card, Odds & Stream Information
Written by: Devon Platana
Last Updated:
Read Time: 9 minutes
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The mixed martial arts world is buzzing as UFC 288 is right around the corner. The massive pay-per-view event takes over Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday, May 6. It’s going to be a thrilling night with a handful of matchups you won’t want to miss.
Sterling vs Cejudo to Headline UFC 288
While there’s something for everyone on the UFC 288 card, a large portion of fans are highly anticipating the main event. UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling (22-3) puts his title on the line against former titleholder Henry Cejudo (16-2), who is coming out of retirement. It’ll sure be a hard-hitting battle that could, rightfully, steal the show.
With so much to take in ahead of the festivities, Betting News is making your life easier. Here’s a look at the full UFC 288 card, complete with the latest betting odds and all of the event information that you need to know.
UFC 288 Event Details
When is UFC 288?
UFC 288 will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Where is UFC 288?
UFC 288 will take place at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
What time does UFC 288 start?
- UFC 288 Early Prelims Start Time: 6 p.m. ET
- UFC 288 Preliminary Card Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Start Time of UFC 288’s Main Card: 10 p.m. ET
How can I watch UFC 288?
The early prelims can be viewed exclusively only on UFC Fight Pass. Both the preliminary and main cards can then be viewed on ESPN+ or through your pay-per-view provider.
UFC 288 Main Card and Odds (Odds as of Tuesday, May 2)
The UFC 288 odds listed below are via BetOnline Sportsbook.
UFC 288 Main Event: Aljamain Sterling (-113) vs. Henry Cejudo (-113)
BetOnline Sportsbook is anticipating a close-fought UFC 288 main event considering how both Sterling and Cejudo sit at -113 odds.
Sterling heads into Newark aiming for his third successful title defense. The 33-year-old fighter first successfully defended the bantamweight gold with a split-decision win over Petr Yan at UFC 273 before TKO’ing T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280. Sterling has now won each of his last eight fights, making it interesting to see who can stop his momentum.
Meanwhile, UFC fans wonder how Cejudo will look after a three-year layoff. After all, the “Messenger” looked dominant the last time he stepped into the octagon. He held the flyweight and bantamweight championships at the same time, becoming only the fourth fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold gold in two different divisions.
On top of that, Cejudo had won each of his last three fights by TKO, sending Dillashaw, Marlon Morales, and Dominick Cruz all down to the mat. As great as Cejudo is, though, only time will tell if he can return to form following his brief retirement.
UFC 288 Co-Main Event: Belal Muhammad (+108) vs. Gilbert Burns (-138)
A huge co-main event pits Belal Muhammad (22-3, 1NC) one-on-one against Gilbert Burns (22-5) in welterweight action.
Muhammad has gone nine consecutive fights without being defeated, picking up eight wins with one no-contest over that span. He’s won each of his last four fights with three of those victories coming by unanimous decision. He looks to keep the momentum going following his TKO win against Sean Brady at UFC 280.
Muhammad will have his hands full with Burns, who is a former UFC Welterweight Championship challenger. The veteran striker was most recently in action less than a month ago, picking up a unanimous decision victory over Jorge Masvidal. This is the first time in Burns’ UFC career that he’s fighting on less than one month of rest.
Women’s Strawweight: Jessica Andrade (-200) vs. Yan Xiaonan (+154)
Jessica Andrade (24-10) aims to bounce back when she takes on Yan Xiaonan (16-3, 1NC) at UFC 288.
Andrade is coming off a submission loss to Erin Blanchfield back in February. The loss snapped Andrade’s winning streak at three fights, making it intriguing to see how she responds this weekend. She hasn’t lost back-to-back fights in over three years.
Meanwhile, Yan snapped a two-fight skid with a majority win against Mackenzie Dern at UFC Vegas 61. All seven of her UFC victories have now come by points. Considering how Andrade is 7-3 when her fights go the distance, Yan certainly has a challenge as the underdog.
Featherweight: Movsar Evloev (TBD) vs. Diego Lopes (TBD)
In what could be the hardest-hitting fights of the night, Movsar Evloev (16-0) puts his undefeated streak on the line against Diego Lopes (20-5), who’s replacing Bryce Mitchell on short notice.
Evloev has completely dominated the competition since joining the UFC in 2019, winning each of his first six fights. All six of his victories have come by some form of decision — including five that were unanimous. In other words, he’s been showing no signs of slowing down.
Lopes has only fought in the UFC once, losing by technical decision to Joanderson Brito on Dana White’s Contender Series. Having said that, he’s won back-to-back outings via TKO. Does Lopes have what it takes to rebound against his undefeated opponent?
Featherweight: Kron Gracie (+164) vs. Charles Jourdain (-215)
Kron Gracie (5-1) makes his UFC return at Prudential Center as he’s set to take on Charles Jourdain (13-6-1).
Gracie began his MMA career on a high note, going 5-0 in his first five fights. Unfortunately, he abandoned his grappling style when he faced Cub Swanson at UFC Fight Night 161, ultimately losing by unanimous decision.
Like Gracie, Jourdain could also use a win at the upcoming PPV. The Quebecor has lost back-to-back fights via points to Shane Burgos and Nathaniel Wood. Jourdain has never lost three consecutive fights in his career, though, leaving time to tell if that trend continues on Saturday.
UFC 288 Preliminary Card
Lightweight: Drew Dober (-235) vs. Matt Frevola (+180)
Drew Dober (26-11, 1NC) and Matt Frevola (10-3-1) are set to go one-on-one in lightweight action on the UFC 288 preliminary card.
Dober has been on fire, defeating each of his last three opponents — Terrance McKinney, Rafael Alves, and Bobby Green — by KO/TKO. He looks to keep that knockout streak going against Frevola, who’s picked up back-to-back knockout wins over Genaro Valdez and Ottman Azaitar. Needless to say, this should be a hard-hitting fight.
Light Heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu (-184) vs. Devin Clark (+142)
The preliminary slate also includes a light heavyweight scrap between Kennedy Nzechukwu (11-3) and Devin Clark (14-7).
After back-to-back losses, Nzechukwu has won two fights in a row, knocking out both Karl Roberson and Ion Cutelaba in a four-month span, earning ‘Performer of the Night’ honors against the latter. On the flip side, Clark has gone 1-1 since his return to the light heavyweight division, most recently going the limit and defeating Da Un Jung by unanimous decision.
Welterweight: Khaos Williams (-340) vs. Rolando Bedoya (+250)
Khaos Williams (13-3) aims to bounce back from his latest loss as he takes on the debuting Rolando Bedoya (13-1) in welterweight action.
Williams went toe-to-toe with Randy Brown at UFC 274, only to lose by split decision after three rounds, ending his win ways at two consecutive outings. To get back on track, he’ll have to take down Bedoya, who’s finished six opponents (three by knockout, three by submission) over the course of his 10-fight winning streak.
Women’s Strawweight: Marina Rodriguez (-130) vs. Virna Jandiroba (+102)
The UFC 288 preliminary card isn’t without women’s action as strawweights Marina Rodriguez (16-2-2) and Virna Jandiroba (18-3) are set for a collision.
It remains to be seen if Rodriguez can get back on track after a TKO loss to Amanda Lemos snapped a four-fight winning streak. Reversing her fortunes won’t be easy, though. Jandiroba has momentum on her side after tallying a unanimous decision win over former Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Angela Hill.
UFC 288 Early Prelims Card
Heavyweight: Braxton Smith (-192) vs. Parker Porter (+148)
Saturday night will also see Braxton Smith (5-1) and Parker Porter (12-8) duking it out in a heavyweight tilt.
Smith is set to make his UFC debut after knocking out each of his last five opponents in the first round. He has a good shot at keeping that streak going. After all, Porter has lost his last two fights to Jailton Almeida and Justin Tafa by submission and TKO, respectively.
Middleweight: Phil Hawes (+168) vs. Ikram Aliskerov (-220)
Phil Hawes (12-4) looks to snap Ikram Aliskerov’s (13-1) winning streak when the two trade blows at UFC 288.
Hawes is currently in the biggest rut of his UFC career, getting knocked out in the opening frame in two of his last three fights. Turning things around will be tough against an opponent like Aliskerov. The four-time Combat Sambo World Champion is on a five-fight tear, notching three of his previous four victories by submission.
Flyweight: Rafael Estevam (-188) vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (+146)
Oddsmakers project for Rafael Estevam’s (11-0) undefeated streak to continue when he faces Zhalgas Zhumagulov (14-8) at Prudential Center.
Estevam racked up wins left and right in Brazil, showing no signs of slowing down. He’s left his latest foes seeing stars, winning three of his last four fights by TKO. Meanwhile, Zhumagulov has seen better days, losing each of his last three outings to give him a 1-5 record since joining the UFC.
Middleweight: Joseph Holmes (+158) vs. Claudio Ribeiro (-205)
Two fighters looking to prove themselves at UFC 288 are middleweights Joseph Holmes (8-3) and Claudio Ribeiro (10-3).
Although he’s shown signs of promise, Holmes has dropped two of his previous three fights and looks to rebound after a submission loss to Jun Yong Park at UFC Vegas 63. Standing in his way is Ribeiro, who is hungry after a knockout loss to Abdul Razak Alhassan four months ago ending his win streak at six.
Bantamweight: Daniel Santos (-180) vs. Johnny Munoz Jr. (+140)
Finally, Daniel Santos (11-2) looks to rise up the bantamweight rankings when he takes on ex-KOTC Bantamweight Champion Johnny Munoz Jr. (12-2) on the early preliminary card.
Santos is an impressive 3-1 in his last four fights, winning twice by knockout and once by submission. On the other hand, Munoz has gone 2-1 since his return to the bantamweight division, most recently defeating Liudvik Sholinian by unanimous decision in November.
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Devon is a Master of Journalism graduate who joined the sports betting world in 2020. His favorite leagues to cover are the NHL, NBA and NFL, and has a soft spot for fantasy football specifically. Outside of sports, he enjoys the finer things in life like pasta, live music and getting even more tattoos.
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