UFC 288 Predictions, Odds, Preview & Fight Analysis
Check out our UFC 288 predictions, analysis and all the betting odds for the upcoming MMA action from the octagon this Saturday night.
How To Watch UFC 288
Start Time: The early prelims start at 11 pm GMT, the prelims start at 1 am and the main card begins at 3 am.
What TV Channel? BT Sport 1, coverage begins at 12.30 am Saturday night/Sunday morning.
Location: Newark, New Jersey, United States
UFC 288 Main Card & Preliminary Card
Main Card
Bantamweight: Aljamain Sterling (c) vs. Henry Cejudo
Welterweight: Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns
Women’s Strawweight: Jéssica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan
Featherweight: Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes
Featherweight: Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain
Preliminary Card
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
UFC 288 Picks & Predictions
Aljamain Sterling (c) vs. Henry Cejudo
Fighter Records
Aljamain Sterling (c) 22-0-3 | Henry Cejudo 16-0-2
Form
Aljamain Sterling (33) is seeking his third successful title defence in 14 months as he faces Henry Cejudo in the Octagon in Saturday night’s main event.
Sterling’s previous title defences came in 2022 earning a split decision victory over Petr Yan in their anticipated rematch at UFC 273 before a comprehensive second-round stoppage win over TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280 in October. The fighter has now eight straight victories and sports a 22-3 record, including a 9-0 mark in the state of New Jersey.
Cejudo (36) retired at UFC 250 back in June 2020, following his victory over Dominick Cruz but after nearly three years away, the former flyweight and bantamweight titleholder is back. Before exiting the fight world the Olympic gold medallist had won six straight fights and the last three by stoppage.
Fighting styles
Sterling: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Cejudo: Wrestling
Fight Analysis
The fight matches up Sterling who models a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu-based style and looks to start fights with by initiating grappling exchange and pursuing a relentless pace to put his opponents under pressure.
Cejudo on the other hand is considered an elite wrestler who before his retirement utilised his pace and superior conditioning to win fights, although it remains to be seen whether he will suffer from ring rust at the weekend against an opponent who has fought four times since he retired.
Each fighter is also capable of strikers after working on it throughout their career. I think ring-rust will come against Cejudo against the more active and younger Sterling.
Prediction: Aljamain Sterling By Submission @ 4/1
Click Below For All Our Sterling v Cejudo Odds
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Belal Muhammad vs Gilbert Burns
Fighter Records
Belal Muhammad 22-1-3| Gilbert Burns: 22-0-5
Form
Muhammad enters the weekend on a four-fight winning streak and a nine-fight unbeaten run. His last time out in the cage ended Sean Brady’s undefeated career at UFC 280.
Since his short-notice meeting with current champ Leon Edwards two years ago which ended in a no-contest following an eye-poke rendering him unsighted, he has beaten every fighter put in front of him. Burns enters the catch again only a few weeks on from his success at UFC 287 where he beat Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision.
This weekend he will become a member of a short list of fighters to compete in consecutive pay-per-view events. The Brazilian will be looking for his third success of 2022 showing he is not afraid to fight no matter what the occasion.
Fighting styles
Muhammad: Striker | Burns: Striker
Fight Analysis
Both men are strikers who prefer to fight in the ascendency and bring the fight on their terms with pace and pressure. Burns is the older fighter who has also fought more frequently recently. I think Muhammad’s freshness could prove key to his success, but this fight could certainly go either way.
Prediction: To Win Fight Belai Muhammad @ 11/10
Click Below For All Our Muhammad v Burns Odds
Jessica Andrade vs Yan Xiaonan
Fighter Records
Jessica Andrade: 24-0-10 | Yan Xiaonan: 16-1-3
Form
Jessica Andrade drops back to strawweight for the third time this year to face Yan Xiaonan. In her last fight strawweight fight she beat Amanda Lemos after her standing arm-triangle choke was enough to earn a first-round submission win. In her most recent outing in the cage, she lost to Erin Blanchfield at flyweight via a Submission (rear-naked choke) in Round 2.
Yan had consecutive losses to former champ Carla Esparza and Marina Rodriguez which knocked her off course momentarily, but a majority decision win over Mackenzie Dern in October saw her return to form.
Fighting styles
Andrade: Striker| Xiaonan: Striker
Fight Analysis
Andrade should be too experienced a fighter for her opponent.
Prediction: Total Rounds Under (2.5) @ 6/5
Click Below For All Our Andrade v Xiaonan Odds
Kron Gracie vs Charles Jourdain
Fighter Records
Kron Gracie: 5-0-1 | Charles Jourdain 13-1-6
Form
Kron Gracie (34) returns to the Octagon following a hiatus of over three years when he faces French-Canadian action fighter Charles Jourdain in the main card opener.
Gracie began his MMA career with five straight wins, including a first-round submission win over Alex Caceres in his UFC debut in February 2019. Later that year, was defeated by Cub Swanson via unanimous decision and has not been in the Octagon since.
Charles Jourdain (27) began last year with a first-round submission win over Lando Vannata but dropped consecutive decisions to Shane Burgos and Nathaniel Wood to finish the year. The entertaining fighter has lacked the consistency required to make it to the coming into weekend with a 4-5-1 record through his first 10 UFC appearances.
Fighting styles
Kron Gracie: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Charles Jourdain: Striker
Fight Analysis
Gracie will look to return to his grappling roots to bag himself the win, but Jourdain is a much younger fighter with a bigger upside with plenty of Octagon practice in recent years he might just get the knockout victory.
Prediction: To Win the Fight Charles Jourdain @ 8/15
Click Below For All Our Gracie v Jourdain Odds
*Prices subject to fluctuation
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