UFC 288 takes place this weekend in New Jersey, bringing back elite MMA action. Aljamain Sterling, the bantamweight champion, will be determined to defend the championship he has held since 2021 against possibly his most difficult opponent to date.
Don’t want to miss out on the weekend fun? Here’s how to watch UFC 288, including how to get the pay-per-view event, start times and fight card information, and how to stream the early prelims.
How to watch UFC 288 Full Fight Live
Viewers around the world can watch the action live on the following channels and here for free:
Live Broadcast: Watch UFC 288 Live Full
When and Where UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo
Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023
Early prelims start time: 6 p.m. ET
Prelims start time: 8 p.m. ET
Main card start time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Who is headlining UFC this weekend?
This weekend’s UFC 288 live stream will feature a fight between current and past UFC Bantamweight champions. Aljamain Sterling defends his championship against Henry Cejudo.
Sterling’s reign has been mocked for a while now, owing to how he won the title in 2021 by Petr Yan delivering an illegal knee to his face. One year later, he defeated Yan again, and his victory over TJ Dillashaw includes the asterisks of defeating an outmatched and injured opponent.
Sterling, on the other hand, is on an eight-fight winning streak. Since 2018, he hasn’t taken an L. Who among us can make that claim?
That is his opponent. Henry Cejudo of Los Angeles hasn’t fought since 2020, but he comes in with a 6-fight win run dating back to 2017. That’s why we’re not shocked that DraftKings(opens in new tab) now has the main virtually even, with both Sterling and Cejudo at -110. That means you’d have to wager $110 in order to win $100.
While Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush was supposed to be the co-main event, Oliveira was forced to withdraw due to an injury. Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns agreed to fill the spot a few weeks ago, and the former is unbeaten in his previous nine fights, while Burns is a well-known grappler.
Gilbert Burns (-125) is the minor favourite at DraftKings, while Belal Muhammad (+105) is the very slight underdog, so a $100 bet on him gets you $105 if he wins.
Saturday’s UFC main event will see Aljamain Sterling step into the Octagon opposite Henry Cejudo. This fight will mark Cejudo’s first since his abrupt retirement back in 2020.
UFC 288 is just around the corner! Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo will return to the Octagon on Saturday to face bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling. If you want to watch this weekend’s bantamweight title fight, here are some options: UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo will only be accessible as a pay-per-view event on ESPN+, with prelims streaming free for subscribers and early prelims also available on UFC Fight Pass.
The co-main event will feature a clash in the welterweight division between top contenders Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad.
The main card has seen one shake-up so far ahead of Saturday’s fight, with Bryce Mitchell stepping out of his scheduled fight against Movsar Evloev. Diego Lopes is currently set to take his place.
UFC 288 full card (subject to change)
Main card: 10 p.m. ET (PPV through ESPN+)
- Bantamweight: Aljamain Sterling (C) (-105) vs. Henry Cejudo (-115)
- Welterweight: Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad
- Women’s strawweight: Jessica Andrade vs. Xiaonan Yan
- Featherweight:
Bryce MitchellDiego Lopes vs. Movsar Evloev - Featherweight: Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain
Prelims: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
- Lightweight: Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola
- Light heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Devin Clark
- Welterweight: Khaos Williams vs. Rolando Bedoya
- Women’s strawweight: Marina Rodriguez vs. Virna Jandiroba
Early prelims: 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+, UFC FightPass)
- Heavyweight: Braxton Smith vs. Parker Porter
- Middleweight: Phil Hawes vs. Ikram Aliskerov
- Flyweight: Rafael Estevam vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
- Middleweight: Joseph Holmes vs. Claudio Ribeiro
- Bantamweight: Daniel Santos vs. Johnny Munoz
