NEWARK, N.J. – UFC 288 takes place Saturday and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results.
UFC 288 takes place at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
In the main event, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) takes on former two-division champion Henry Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who is returning after a retirement of nearly three years. In the co-feature, Gilbert Burns (22-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) fights for the third time so far in 2023, and second time in five weeks, when he takes on Belal Muhammad (22-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in a key welterweight bout.
Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. ET for the early prelims on ESPN+, 8 p.m. for the prelims on ESPN and 10 p.m. ET for the main card on pay-per-view.
To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC 288 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporter Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn ) on Twitter.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
Joseph Holmes vs. Claudio Ribeiro
Round 1 – Holmes shoots a shot early, but comes up short. Ribeiro uses that to press him against the cage. Holmes reverses the position and he’s now pressing Ribeiro. No damage here, just control. The crowd begins to boo. they break free. Two minutes left. Huge leg kick by Ribeiro drops Holmes, but he gets right back up. Ribeiro gets Holmes down to the canvas. One minute left. Ribeiro with some shots, but no major damage. Ribeiro mounts Holmes. Ribeiro gets the back mount! Huge shots in the final seconds. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Ribeiro.
Round 2 – Big shots by Ribeiro early here. He closes the distance and pins Holmes against the cage. Holmes reverses the position. Not much going on. The crowd boos. They break away. Big leg kick by Ribeiro. Good jab by Ribeiro. Very slow paced fight here. Three minutes left. Big right hand connects for Ribeiro. Ribeiro presses Holmes against the cage. Ribeiro knocks down Holmes with a shot. Big ground-and-pound by Ribeiro! It’s over. Solid win for the Brazilian.
Result: Claudio Ribeiro def. Joseph Holmes via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 3:21.
Recap: Claudio Ribeiro pummels Joseph Holmes in prelims opener
Photos: Claudio Ribeiro def. Joseph Holmes at UFC 288: Best photos
Records: Claudio Ribeiro (11-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Joseph Holmes (8-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC)
Division: 189-pound catchweight (Holmes missed middleweight limit)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Gary Copeland
Ikram Aliskerov vs. Phil Hawes
Round 1 – Hawes is lighting up Aliskerov with kicks to the body! What a pace here. Hawes all over Aliskerov. Oh! It’s over! Aliskerov counters Hawes with a right hand and knocks him out cold. Brutal shot.
Result: Ikram Aliskerov def. Phil Hawes via KO (punch) – Round 1, 2:10
Recap: Ikram Aliskerov slumps Phil Hawes with one hitter quitter, calls out Bo Nickal
Photos: Ikram Aliskerov def. Phil Hawes at UFC 288: Best photos
Records: Ikram Aliskerov (14-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Phil Hawes (12-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Gasper Oliver
Parker Porter vs. Braxton Smith
Round 1 – Big right hand by Smith! These two are swinging hard early! Smith with another shot. Porter attempts a couple of takedowns, but comes up short. Huge shots traded by both guys. Nice jab by Porter. Porter snaps down Smith and transitions to the back. Porter gets mount and begins to drop non-stop ground-and-pound. It’s over!
Result: Parker Porter def. Braxton Smith via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 1, 2:10
Photos: Parker Porter def. Braxton Smith at UFC 288: Best photos
Records: Parker Porter (14-8 MMA, 4-3 UFC), Braxton Smith (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Gary Copeland
Virna Jandiroba vs. Marina Rodriguez
Round 1 – Jandiroba with an early takedown here. She’s got Rodriguez in the Khabib-like position. Jandiroba slowly but surely advances and gets the back of Rodriguez. Rodriguez rolls to her back and Jandiroba is now in half guard. Three minutes left. No damage present. Fans are booing. Jandiroba in complete control. Two minutes left. Jandiroba attempting a kimura. Rodriguez defending well, a bit of a stalemate here. Jandiroba lets it go. Good elbows by Jandiroba. Jandiroba still with top control. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Jandiroba.
Round 2 – No secret what Jandiroba is trying to do here. She looks to immediately close the distance on Rodriguez. Jandiroba goes for the takedown and presses Rodriguez against the cage. Rodriguez defending the takedown well, but being controlled against the cage. Takedown by Jandiroba. Jandiroba working from half guard. Three minutes left. Jandiroba with some ground-and-pound from top, but not really doing much damage. Very slow paced fight. One minute left. Jandiroba moves to side control. Big elbows by Jandiroba to close the round. Those shots drew a bit of blood from Rodriguez’s right eyebrow. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Jandiroba.
Round 3 – Rodriguez lands a few shots while they exchange here early into the final round. Jandiroba seems a bit more open to strike in this round. Flying knee by Rodriguez almost connects. Jandiroba shoots for a takedown and presses Rodriguez against the cage. She gets the takedown. Three minutes left. Good elbows from bottom by Rodriguez. Jandiroba controlling Rodriguez. The crowd is booing due to lack of action. Jandiroba attempting an arm triangle, but Rodriguez escapes. Jandiroba maintains top control until the bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Jandiroba. Overall 30-27, Jandiroba.
Result: Virna Jandiroba def. Marina Rodriguez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Photos: Virna Jandiroba def. Marina Rodriguez at UFC 288: Best photos
Records: Virna Jandiroba (19-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Marina Rodriguez (16-3-2 MMA, 6-3-2 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Vitor Ribeiro
Judging: Maimunah Querido 30-27. Michael Bell, Dominic Carolei 29-28.
Rolando Bedoya vs. Khaos Williams
Round 1 – Bedoya with big leg kicks to get things started here. Williams walking Bedoya down. Big exchanges by both men. Williams presses Bedoya against the cage and looks for a takedown. Bedoya gets out. Clean one, two lands for Bedoya. Right hand connects for Williams. Two minutes left. Good leg kicks by Bedoya. Another big right hand by Williams. Very competitive fight. More leg kicks by Bedoya. Jab by Bedoya. Big shots from both. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Williams.
Round 2 – Fun first round. Good leg kick by Bedoya. Bedoya seems to have the more precision and volume, but Williams’ shots seem to have more pop. Good right hand by Bedoya. Another leg kick by Bedoya. Clean jabs by Bedoya. Another jab followed by a low kick from Bedoya. Williams presses Bedoya against the cage. Bedoya gets out. Two minutes left. The low kicks from Bedoya are starting to buckle Williams a bit. Good defense here by Bedoya. Williams throwing, but not catching Bedoya. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Bedoya.
Round 3 – Williams tries to press Bedoya against the cage, but Bedoya is able to get loose. Hard leg kick by Bedoya. Good elbow by Bedoya. And now a clean jab! Williams having a tough time landing here. Bedoya is now the one pressing, as Williams is on the backfoot. Another leg kick by Bedoya. Two minutes left. Clean jab and leg kick by Bedoya. Bedoya tries to takedown Williams but comes up short. Back to the feet. Williams bleeding from his mouth. Good right hand by Williams. Big right hand by Bedoya! Bedoya snaps his head back with the jab. The bell rings. Great fight.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Bedoya. Overall 29-28, Bedoya.
Result: Khaos Williams def. Rolando Bedoya via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: Khaos Williams def. Rolando Bedoya at UFC 288: Best photos
Records: Khaos Williams (14-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC), Rolando Bedoya (14-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Keith Peterson
Judging: Michael Bell, Dominic Carolei 29-28. Derek Cleary 27-20.
Devin Clark vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Round 1 – Clark attempts a takedown early, but gets stuffed. Clark backing up here while Nzechukwu pressure. Many feints, not much thrown. Clark shoots for a takedown, almost gets it and pushes Nzechukwu to the cage. Nzechukwu reverses the position and now he presses Clark against the cage. Two minutes left. Nzechukwu still controlling Clark against the cage. Nzechukwu with some good elbows on the break. Back to striking. Oh! Nasty right hand by Clark. Nzechukwu is wobbled. Clark all over him. Clark going for the finish. Nzechukwu recovers and now he lands a right hand. Nasty elbows by Nzechukwu! Crazy round. More elbows by Nzechukwu, as he presses Clark against the cage. Nasty knee to the body by Nzechukwu. The bell rings. What a round.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Nzechukwu.
Round 2 – Nzechukwu immediately pressing Clark. He presses him against the cage. Nasty elbow by Nzechukwu. Back to striking. Nzechukwu constantly pressing Clark. Nzechukwu presses Clark back to the cage. Good knee by Nzechukwu. Another knee. Clark with a good hook on the break. Clark attempts a takedown and gets caught in a front choke. And he’s out! Nzechukwu sleeps Clark!
Result: Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Devin Clark via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:28
Recap: Kennedy Nzechukwu savagely puts Devin Clark to sleep with standing guillotine choke
Photos: Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Devin Clark at UFC 288: Best photos
Records: Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), Devin Clark (14-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Gasper Oliver
Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola
Round 1 – This one should be fun! Body kick by Frevola. And a right hand by Frevola. Dober has yet to get going. A big left connects by Frevola. Another body kick. Frevola is aggressive. Dober is starting to let his hands go. Dober with a body shot. Dober pressing here, he has Frevola on the back foot. Good body shots by Dober. Dober is bleeding from his nose. Two minutes left. Head-kick partly connects for Frevola Superman punch by Frevola! Huge right hand by Frevola! Dober goes down! Frevola all over him with shots. It’s over!
Result: Matt Frevola def. Drew Dober via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 1, 4:08
Recap: Matt Frevola ‘death bombs’ Drew Dober, calls out ‘b*tch’ Paddy Pimblett
Photos: Matt Frevola def. Drew Dober at UFC 288: Best photos
Records: Matt Frevola (11-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC), Drew Dober (26-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Herb Dean
Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain
Round 1 – Gracie comes out pressuring Jourdain. Jourdain very tentative, staying on the outside. Good jabs by Jourdain. Gracie closes the distance and presses Jourdain against the cage, but Jourdain breaks free quickly. Good uppercut by Jourdain. Gracie chasing Jourdain here. Another uppercut by Jourdain. He’s sharp tonight. Jourdain is picking apart Gracie from the outside. And Gracie pulls guard! Two minutes left. Gracie looking to set something up, but Jourdain staying patient. Jourdain gets back up! One minute left. Gracie presses Jourdain against the cage. He breaks free shortly. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Jourdain.
Round 2 – Same dynamic here. Gracie presses, Jourdain on the back foot, picking his shots. Gracie pulls guard by the cage. Gracie with some shots from bottom. The crowd is booing. Three minutes left. Bot much going on. Two minutes left. Jourdain gets back up. Again, Gracie chases, looking for a takedown, while Jourdain picks him apart with shots. One minute left. Gracie closes the distance and pulls guard again. Short punches by Gracie untill the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Jourdain.
Round 3 – Jourdain letting his hands go a bit more in this round. Credit to Gracie, he’s got a chin. Good body shot by Jourdain. Nasty knee by Jourdain. Gracie not doing much on the feet. And Gracie pulls guard. Three minutes left. Gracie playing high guard, but he doesn’t seem to be threatening Jourdain. More arm shots by Gracie. Two minutes left. Jourdain gets back up. He begins to kick the legs of a downed Gracie. Gracie is butt scooting, but the referee stands him up. One minute left. Gracie tries to tie up Jourdain, but unsuccessful. Big right hand by Jourdain. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Jourdain. Overall 30-27, Jourdain.
Result: Charles Jourdain def. Kron Gracie via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: Charles Jourdain def. Kron Gracie at UFC 288: Best photos
Records: Charles Jourdain (14-6-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC), Kron Gracie (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Garry Copeland
Judging: Derek Cleary, Eric Colon, David Tirelli 30-27.
Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes
Round 1 – Good leg kick by Lopes. Another one. And a big right hand for Lopes. Lopes tagged Evloev! Evloev is wobbled! And Evloev takes down Lopes, and he’s working from top. Lopes trying to go for a leg lock, but Evloev gets out. Evloev working from guard. Good ground-and-pound by Evloev. Three minutes left. Good elbow from bottom by Lopes. Armbar attempt by Lopes! Close, but Evloev gets out. Two minutes left. Good shots from top by Evloev. Lopes locks a triangle in the final seconds, but the bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Lopes.
Round 2 – Good right hand by Evloev. And a left Hook by Lopes. Another right hand by Evloev. A couple of nice hooks land for Lopes. Pretty even on the feet. Good jab by Evloev, who’s the fighter walking forward. Three minutes left. Lopes seems to be getting tired. Good left hook by Lopes. Evloev shoots for a takedown and Lopes pulls guard. Evloev working from guard, lands a few shots from top. Nice ground-and-pound by Evloev. One minute left. Big shots by Evloev. Lopes is slowing down a lot. Evloev maintains top control until the bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Evloev.
Round 3 – Final round. Good hooks here by Lopes. Right hand lands by Evloev. One, two by Evloev. And a clean right hook by Evloev. Lopes answers back with a right hook of his own. Certainly, Evloev the much fresher fighter here. Evloev presses Lopes against the cage. Evloev takes down Lopes. Three minutes left. Lopes gets back up, but Evloev is still tying him up. Evloev pressing Lopes against the cage. Lopes with a kimura! It looks tight. Evloev rolls over and now Lopes is on top. Evloev escapes and scrambles back to his feet. Evloev back at pressing Lopes against the cage. One minute left. Another kimura attempt, but Evloev gets out. Now Lopes with a knee bar! It looks tight! The bell rings. Great fight.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Evloev. Overall 29-28, Evloev.
Result: Movsar Evloev def. Diego Lopes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Photos: Movsar Evloev def. Diego Lopes at UFC 288: Best photos
Records: Movsar Evloev (17-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), Diego Lopes (21-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Keith Peterson
Judging: Derek Cleary, Eric Colon 29-28. David Tirelli 30-27.
Jessica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan
Round 1 – Leg kicks by both fighters. Big left hand by Xiaonan. Andrade walking down Xiaonan. Xiaonan staying mobile and looking to counter Andrade. Xiaonan with very precice shots, she’s outstriking Andrade right now. Three minutes left. Big shot by Xiaonan. She’s far more accurate than Andrade so far. Oh! Andrade rushes in and and gets put out by a huge right hand! It’s over.
Result: Yan Xiaonan def. Jessica Andrade via TKO (punch) – Round 1, 2:20
Recap: Yan Xiaonan quickly TKOs Jessica Andrade, calls for title shot
Photos:
Records: Yan Xiaonan (17-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC), Jessica Andrade (24-11 MMA, 15-9 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Vitor Ribeiro
Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad
Round 1 – Hard leg kick by Burns. Both fighters timing each other, slow pace so far. Good left by Muhammad. Both take turns pressing. Three minutes left. Another hard leg kick by Burns. Burns goes for a takedown, but comes up short. Hard body kick by Muhammad. Two minutes left. It seems Muhammad stunned Burns with a jab. Burns is bleeding a bit from his nose. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Muhammad.
Round 2 – Good leg kick by Burns. Hard body kick by Muhammad. Big right-hand lands for Burns. Muhammad now pressing Burns. Very tense fight here. Another big right by Burns. Right hand from Burns stuns Muhammad briefly. Two minutes left. Leg kick by Burns. Wild exchanges from both, but neither connect. Good left by Muhammad. The bell rings. Close round.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Burns.
Round 3 – Muhammad constantly pressuring Burns in this round. Not much action. Hard leg kick by Burns. Three minutes left. Muhammad has thrown a few body kicks, but blocked by Burns. One, two lands for Muhammad. Hard body kick by Muhammad. Two minutes left. Head kick almost connects for Muhammad. Burns striking output has slowed. It seems he has an injury on his left arm. He keeps shaking it and hasn’t thrown many left strikes. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Muhammad.
Round 4 – Hard leg kick by Burns. Another one. Hard body kick by Muhammad. Clean jabs by Muhammad. Burns with a couple of hard right hooks. Muhammad with constant pressure. He’s letting his strikes go a bit more in this round. Three minutes left. Burns with a body kick. Big right hand lands for Burns! Hard body kick by Burns. Two minutes left. Muhammad recognized Burns left arm is compromised and is starting to kick that area. Good leg kick by Burns. Nasty right hand connects for Burns.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Muhammad.
Round 5 – Hard body kick by Muhammad. And good leg kick by Burns. Burns is not throwing his left hand at all. More leg kicks by Burns. Burns upping his attack to the legs. One, two for Muhammad. Neither guy is doing much damage here. One minute left. They trade kicks. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Muhammad. Overall 49-46, Muhammad.
Result: Belal Muhammad def. Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
Recap:
Photos:
Records: Belal Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC), Gilbert Burns (22-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Keith Peterson
Judging:
Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo
Scored by Simon Samano
Round 1 – Sterling comes out throwing a high kick that whiffs. He’s the aggressor in the opening moments, right in his face with pressure. … First takedown goes to Cejudo. With about 3:45 to go, Sterling closes distance and falls right into a body lock from Cejudo, who secures the takedown and is on top near the fence. Sterling spends about a minute on the mat before he’s able to stand up. Once up, they start throwing hard punches at each other, but nothing significant lands. About 2 minutes left, and they’re in the clinch near the cage. Cejudo drags him down, but Sterling escapes in a display of pure wrestling. Now Sterling is leaning on Cejudo, and it’s Sterling who gets the takedown this time. Nice knees to the body. Sterling has Cejudo’s back, but there’s only 25 seconds left. This is a strong finish for the champ. He did more with his takedowns, so it goes to the champ 10-9.
Round 2 – Sterling again comes out aggressive and in Cejudo’s face. Cejudo lands a nice high kick that clips Sterling, but it was more looks than substance. Sterling is active with kicks both to the legs and body. Sterling shoots with 3 minutes left, and it’s stuffed. Wasn’t a very good attempt. They remain standing. Cejudo is starting to swell under his right eye. Sterling is switching his stance a lot. Nice high kick lands again from Cejudo, this one cleaner while Sterling was bent down. Big right hand from Cejudo in the final seconds. A pretty close round overall, but we’ll lean Cejudo 10-9. … 19-19 after two rounds.
Round 3 – Sterling throwing a lot of kicks in the early going, landing to the body. Cejudo throws a flying knee, seems to land it, and then Sterling goes to defense with a shot that Cejudo stuffs. He welcomes Sterling back to his feet. Cejudo is the one stalking in the opening 90 seconds. Sterling tries to take him down again, but he gets stuffed near the cage, and now they’re jockeying for position in the clinch. High-level wrestling on display right now. Sterling gets the takedown with 2:50 remaining, and he’s nearly got his back. Nice knee to the face by Sterling as Cejudo stays on his feet, and they’re clinched again with Cejudo’s back against the fence. Sterling is weighing on Cejudo. They separate peacefully with about 2 minutes remaining, but then Sterling quickly shoots, but Cejudo’s defense in the middle of the cage is solid. Nice one-two combo from Sterling with 30 seconds left, followed by two good knees to the body in the clinch. The round closes with Cejudo getting a trip takedown with 10 seconds left. Another close round, but this one goes to the champ on the strength of his striking. 10-9 Sterling. … 29-28 Sterling after three.
Round 4 – Slower start to the round, but Cejudo lands a nice right. Cejudo lands a hard knee that just misses Sterling’s head as he ducks into him. Here we go again with another clinch near the fence, but Cejudo shucks him off. Henry is starting to pressure Sterling. Nice jab by Sterling. Another wild scramble in the clinch. Sterling’s striking is starting to come on with 90 seconds left. Sterling throws a kick that’s caught by Cejudo, who again lands in the clinch. Nice knee to the body by Sterling. More high-level wrestling from these guys near the cage, and it’s Sterling who secures the takedown to close the round. Ends with a couple of nice punches. That one should go to Sterling 10-9. … 39-37 Sterling after four.
Round 5 – Cejudo comes out and is constantly pressuring, listening to his corners advice. Sterling might think he’s up. Nice left hand by Sterling lands. But then moments later a nice left hook by Cejudo. And now a big right hand, followed by a low kick. Cejudo’s corner wants him to throw hands. Sterling shoots in for a takedown that Cejudo sprawls away from. Cejudo has some potentially significant moments late in the round, but the two ultimately slugged it out in the final half-minute. We go 10-9 Cejudo. … We have Sterling winning 48-47.
Result: Aljamain Sterling def. Henry Cejudo via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
Recap: UFC 288 results: Aljamain Sterling tops Henry Cejudo by split decision, exchanges words with Sean O’Malley
Photos:
Records: Aljamain Sterling (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC), Henry Cejudo (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Mike Bell, Derek Clearly, Eric Colon
