UFC 288 fight card: Full list of fights, main event, start time for PPV

UFC 288 is set for Saturday, May 6, live from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. There are a total of 14 bouts on the card between the early prelims, prelims, and the main card. The main event of the evening will feature a bantamweight title bout between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo.

The early preliminary card starts at 6 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass. The preliminary card is next up at 8 on ESPN+. The big show gets started at 10 p.m on ESPN+ PPV.

Sterling ( 22-3) and Cejudo (16-2) will square off for the first time in their respective careers. The former has won eight in a row and is going for his fourth straight title defense. The latter is the former champion entering the octagon for the first time in three years. This will be the toughest title defense that Sterling has faced during his run. Cejudo was at the top of the division before retiring in 2020. Now he's back to reclaim the title he never lost in what should be an epic clash.

Cejudo opens at -115, while the champion Sterling is sitting at -105 at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Another bout to look out for on the main card is one of the few ranked matchups on the card in No.4 Belal Muhammad (22-3) and No. 5 Gilbert Burns (22-5). The two welterweight fighters will do battle for the first time in their careers. Muhammad is red hot right now, having won eight of nine, and a win here could get him the title shot he's longing for. Burns, on the other hand, will enter the octagon for the third time this year and look to win his third out in a row.

UFC 288: Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo main card, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+

• Main event: (C) Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo, bantamweight title fight
• Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns, welterweight
• Jessica Andrade vs. Xiaonan Yan, women's strawweight
• Movsar Evloev vs. Bryce Mitchell, featherweight
• Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain, featherweight

Preliminary card, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET

• Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola, lightweight
• Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Devin Clark, light heavyweight
• Khaos Williams vs. Rolando Bedoya, welterweight
• Marina Rodriguez vs. Virna Jandiroba, women's strawweight

Early preliminary card, UFC Fight Pass, 6 p.m. ET

• Braxton Smith vs. Parker Porter, heavyweight
• Phil Hawes vs. Ikram Aliskerov, middleweight
• Rafael Estevam vs. Zhagas Zhumagulov, flyweight
• Joseph Holmes vs. Claudio Ribiero, middleweight
• Daniel Santos vs. Johnny Munoz, bantamweight

  
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