UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo
United States
Main Card • Final
R5, 5:00
Title Fight
Palestine
R5, 5:00
Brazil
China
R1, 2:20
Performance of the Night
Russia
R3, 5:00
Fight of the Night
Canada
R3, 5:00
Prelims • Final
R1, 4:08
Performance of the Night
Nigeria
R2, 2:28
R3, 5:00
Peru
R3, 5:00
Early Prelims • Final
R1, 2:10
R1, 2:10
R2, 3:21
Official Event Results
Title Bout
$50k FOTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night ($50,000 each): Movsar Evloev and Diego Lopes earned Fight of the Night honors for their breathless featherweight showcase, with short-notice newcomer Lopes threatening with four tight submission attempts against the undefeated Evloev.
Performance of the Night ($50,000 each): Yan Xiaonan earned $50,000 for her sensational first-round knockout over former champion Jéssica Andrade. Matt Frevola received $50,000 for scoring his third consecutive first-round knockout victory by halting Drew Dober.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $500,000 | — | — | $500,000 | |
| LOSS | $500,000 | — | — | $500,000 | |
| WIN | $150,000 | $150,000 | — | $300,000 | |
| LOSS | $200,000 | — | — | $200,000 | |
| WIN | $75,000 | $75,000 | $50,000 | $200,000 | |
| WIN | $65,000 | $65,000 | $50,000 | $180,000 | |
| LOSS | $175,000 | — | — | $175,000 | |
| WIN | $45,000 | $45,000 | $50,000 | $140,000 | |
| LOSS | $100,000 | — | — | $100,000 | |
| WIN | $50,000 | $50,000 | — | $100,000 | |
| WIN | $45,000 | $45,000 | — | $90,000 | |
| WIN | $45,000 | $45,000 | — | $90,000 | |
| LOSS | $80,000 | — | — | $80,000 | |
| WIN | $38,000 | $38,000 | — | $76,000 | |
| LOSS | $75,000 | — | — | $75,000 | |
| WIN | $35,000 | $35,000 | — | $70,000 | |
| LOSS | $12,000 | — | $50,000 | $62,000 | |
| LOSS | $50,000 | — | — | $50,000 | |
| LOSS | $30,000 | — | — | $30,000 | |
| WIN | $12,000 | $14,400 | — | $26,400 | |
| WIN | $12,000 | $12,000 | — | $24,000 | |
| LOSS | $12,000 | — | — | $12,000 | |
| LOSS | $10,000 | — | — | $10,000 | |
| LOSS | $9,600 | — | — | $9,600 |
*Purses are compiled from industry reporting, contractual baselines, and established estimates, as the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (NJSACB) does not publicly disclose official fighter salaries. Joseph Holmes weighed in at 189 pounds, three pounds over the middleweight non-title limit, and was fined 20% of his purse, which was awarded to Claudio Ribeiro. Totals include official post-fight performance bonus awards ($50,000 each) but exclude discretionary locker room payouts, pay-per-view dividends, and promotional compliance shares.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 288
Aljamain Sterling successfully defended his title for the third consecutive time, breaking the tie with Dominick Cruz, T.J. Dillashaw, and Renan Barão to stand alone with the most consecutive bantamweight title defenses in UFC history.
With his split decision triumph over Henry Cejudo, Sterling captured his 14th career UFC bantamweight victory, tying T.J. Dillashaw for the most wins in divisional history.
Sterling extended his division winning streak to nine consecutive fights, establishing the longest active win streak in modern UFC bantamweight history.
UFC 288 drew 17,559 fans and generated a live gate of $5,182,210.36, breaking the all-time arena record for the highest-grossing sporting event in the history of Prudential Center.
Belal Muhammad moved his unbeaten run to 10 straight fights (9-0, 1 NC), defeating Gilbert Burns over five rounds on short notice to cement his number-one contender status.
Stepping in on just five days’ notice, promotional debutant Diego Lopes threatened undefeated top-10 contender Movsar Evloev with four submission attempts, earning Fight of the Night.
Yan Xiaonan became the first female strawweight in UFC history to stop former champion Jéssica Andrade via knockout inside the opening frame (2:20 of Round 1).
Matt Frevola recorded his third consecutive first-round knockout inside the Octagon, becoming only the eighth lightweight in UFC history to accomplish the feat by stopping Drew Dober.
Virna Jandiroba logged 12 minutes and 2 seconds of ground control time against Marina Rodriguez, recording the second-highest control percentage in a 3-round strawweight fight.
Kennedy Nzechukwu finished Devin Clark via standing guillotine choke at 2:28 of Round 2, executing one of only four standing front-choke technical submissions in modern light heavyweight history.
Sambo world champion Ikram Aliskerov announced his arrival to the middleweight division by flatlining veteran Phil Hawes with punches in just 2:10 of Round 1.
Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo returned from a 1,092-day retirement layoff to compete in his fourth career UFC title fight, taking the champion the full 25-minute distance.
When and where did UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo take place?
UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo took place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Who won the main event between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo?
Aljamain Sterling defeated Henry Cejudo via split decision (47–48, 48–47, 48–47) to retain the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Who won the co-main event between Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns?
Belal Muhammad defeated Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision (50–45, 49–46, 49–46) in a five-round welterweight title eliminator.
Who won the post-fight bonuses at UFC 288?
Four fighters received $50,000 bonuses: Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes earned Fight of the Night, while Yan Xiaonan and Matt Frevola collected Performance of the Night honors.
How did Diego Lopes perform in his short-notice UFC debut?
Stepping in on just five days’ notice to replace Bryce Mitchell, Diego Lopes put on a breakout performance against the undefeated Movsar Evloev, threatening with multiple tight armbars and kneebars to win Fight of the Night honors despite losing a competitive decision.
What was the live gate and attendance for UFC 288 in Newark?
The event drew a sellout crowd of 17,559 fans and generated $5,182,210.36, setting the all-time sporting event live gate record for the Prudential Center.
How did Yan Xiaonan defeat former champion Jéssica Andrade?
China’s Yan Xiaonan caught Jéssica Andrade with a clean counter right hand and followed up with hammerfists to win via TKO at 2:20 of Round 1, earning a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
How did Matt Frevola finish Drew Dober?
Long Island’s Matt Frevola rocked Drew Dober with a blistering right hand against the cage and finished with ground strikes at 4:08 of Round 1 to secure his third consecutive first-round knockout.
When was Henry Cejudo’s previous fight before UFC 288?
Cejudo had not competed since May 9, 2020 at UFC 249, where he defeated Dominick Cruz to defend the bantamweight title before announcing his three-year retirement.
How did Kennedy Nzechukwu finish Devin Clark?
Nzechukwu locked in a standing guillotine choke against the fence at 2:28 of Round 2, forcing referee Herb Dean to step in for a technical submission stoppage as Clark lost consciousness.
How did Ikram Aliskerov win his UFC debut at UFC 288?
Contender Series alumnus Ikram Aliskerov delivered an explosive knockout (punches) at 2:10 of Round 1 against middleweight veteran Phil Hawes.
What was the result of Charles Jourdain vs. Kron Gracie?
Charles Jourdain out-struck Kron Gracie 80 to 32 in significant strikes to earn a shutout unanimous decision victory (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).
How did Virna Jandiroba defeat Marina Rodriguez?
Jandiroba scored 3 takedowns and racked up over 12 minutes of ground control time, smothering Rodriguez to win a clear unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27).
Where was UFC 288 broadcast?
In the United States, the main card aired live on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View, with the preliminary card airing on ESPN and ESPN+, and early prelims streaming on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+.
Who called the action on commentary for UFC 288?
The broadcast was called cageside by lead play-by-play voice Jon Anik alongside color analysts Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier, with Bruce Buffer announcing inside the Octagon.
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