UFC Fight Night 88 start time, TV schedule, who is fighting tonight at 'Almeida vs Garbrandt'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) takes over Las Vegas, Nevada tonight (Sun., May 29, 2016) as Mandalay Bay Events Center will play host to the UFC Fight Night 88: "Almeida vs Garbrandt" event, live and free on FOX Sports 1.

Catch all the action LIVE with a main card start time of 9 p.m. ET (for up-to-date UFC Fight Night 88 results click here).

Below is everything you need to know to stay on top of the Fight Night event.

Who: Thomas Almeida vs. Cody Garbrandt
What: UFC Fight Night 88
When: Sun., May 29, 2016, beginning at 6 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass
Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada

How To Watch: Main card at 9 p.m ET on FOX Sports 1; FOX Sports 1 "Prelims" under card at 7 p.m. ET; and UFC Fight Pass early "Prelims" at 6 p.m. ET.

Live UFC Fight Night 88 results: Play-by-play coverage stream right here

Why It Matters: It has been quite some time since UFC brass gifted two up-and-coming prospects the main event slot on a FOX Sports 1 show, and it is definitely refreshing.

Both Cody Garbrandt and Thomas Almeida have all the skills necessary to become UFC Champions, but they will have to be battle tested against the cream of the crop at 135-pounds to prove their worth.

What better way to wean out the best by pitting two of the most talented prospects on the roster against one another in a feature bout?

This should be a barnburner.

What's Hot: Speaking of great Bantamweights...

Former UFC kingpin Renan Barao has opted to move up to the Featherweight division, leaving behind the brutal weight cut that he believes caused him two devastating losses against TJ Dillashaw.

The Brazilian wrecking machine will look to get back to his winning ways in quick order by taking out the venerable Jeremy Stephens, and climbing up the ladder to another UFC title shot.

What's Not: For a free card on FOX Sports 1, there isn't much to complain about with UFC Fight Night 88.

This event is stacked from top to bottom, and my only qualm would once again be UFC brass not featuring elite prospect Aljamain Sterling on the main card.

Do they not realize "The Funk Master" is already a legit title contender?

Original Card vs Actual Card:

Keith Berish was set to debut tonight against Jake Collier, but an injury to Berish gave Alberto Uda the opportunity to take a short notice fight for his UFC debut.

The only other change to UFC Fight Night 88 occurred when Joe Proctor pulled out of his scheduled fight against Erik Koch, and was replaced by Shane Campbell.

New Blood:

Adam Milstead (vs. Chris De La Rocha): Heavyweight prospect Adam Milstead is adamant on proving his worthiness of a UFC roster spot this evening when he takes on Chris De La Rocha. "The Prototype" lost his professional debut via knockout, but has since finished seven straight opponents over the last four years.

Alberto Uda (vs. Jake Collier): An undefeated Brazilian prospect will debut tonight on the "Prelims," and Alberto Uda is not someone to miss. In nine career bouts, Uda has managed to finish eight opponents with a variety of techniques. Capable of finishing the fight on the feet or the mat, Uda could become a must-watch fighter in the coming months.

How The "Prelims" Look: Very solid.

While I am sick and tired of seeing Aljamain Sterling -- the No. 3 ranked Bantamweight in the world -- stashed on UFC Fight Pass, there is no denying "Funk Master" bolsters the "Prelims" card. Sterling will battle Bryan Caraway in a grudge match, and the winner could very well fight for UFC gold next.

Erik Koch returns to the Octagon tonight after a lengthy layoff, as he takes on Shane Campbell in what should be a thrilling fight. Former No. 1 contender Sara McMann returns as well to battle Jessica Eye in the "Prelims" main event. Overall, this is definitely an undercard to keep your eye on.

Who Needs A Win Badly: This portion is reserved for fighters who could be fighting for their jobs today, rather than contenders or title challengers needing victory. Let's take a look at those who need to pull it together:

Jessica Eye vs Sara McMann: If Sara McMann and Jessica Eye want to keep their UFC roster spots, they both need to put on a show. Since losing to Ronda Rousey at UFC 170, McMann has gone 1-2, including a highly questionable decision win over Lauren Murphy. As for Eye, her UFC career has been a disaster thus far, going 1-3-1 in a span of two years.

Interest Level: 7/10

UFC Fight Night 88 is a sneaky good card featuring some of the best and most exciting young talent in the sport today. The main event is simply can't miss, as Almeida and Garbrandt are sure to put on a show however long their battle may last.

Outside of the feature bout, fight fans will be treated to Renan Barao's Featherweight debut, Aljamain Sterling vs. Bryan Caraway, Tarec Saffiedine vs. Rick Story, Jorge Masvidal vs. Lorenz Larkin, Paul Felder, Abel Trujillo and much more.

Don't miss this one!

Check out the full UFC Fight Night 88 fight card right here:

FOX Sports 1 Main Event:

135 lbs.: Thomas Almeida vs. Cody Garbrandt

FOX Sports 1 Co-Main Event:

145 lbs.: Renan Barao vs. Jeremy Stephens

FOX Sports 1 Main Card (9 p.m. ET):

170 lbs.: Rick Story vs. Tarec Saffiedine
185 lbs.: Chris Camozzi vs. Vitor Miranda
170 lbs.: Jorge Masvidal vs. Lorenz Larkin
155 lbs.: Josh Burkman vs. Paul Felder

FOX Sports 1 "Prelims" (7 p.m. ET):

135 lbs.: Jessica Eye vs. Sara McMann
155 lbs.: Abel Trujillo vs. Jordan Rinaldi
185 lbs.: Alberto Uda vs. Jake Collier
155 lbs.: Erik Koch vs. Shane Campbell

UFC Fight Pass "Prelims" (6 p.m. ET):

135 lbs.: Aljamain Sterling vs. Bryan Caraway
265 lbs.: Chris DeLaRocha vs. Adam Milstead

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 88 fight card on fight night (click here), starting with the Fight Pass "Prelims" matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, and then the remaining under card balance on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET before the main card start time of 9 p.m. ET.

For more information on UFC Fight Night 88, including the full fight card, results, news, and more, click here.