Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns added to UFC 288 as five-round co-main event

UFC 288 just got a big late addition to its pay-per-view (PPV) line up.

The promotion announced today (Thurs., April 22, 2023) that No. 4-ranked Welterweight contender, Belal Muhammad (22-3, 1 no contest), will take on No. 5-seeded Gilbert Burns in UFC 288’s new five-round, non-title PPV co-main event on May 8, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey.

LIVE! Watch UFC 289 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

OCTAGON RETURNS TO THE GREAT WHITE NORTH! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Canada for the first time in almost four years when it hosts UFC 289 inside Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sat., June 10, 2023. In UFC 289’s pay-per-view (PPV) main event, women’s Bantamweight champion, Amanda Nunes, will lock horns with No. 5-ranked 135-pound contender, Irene Aldana, while former Lightweight kingpin and current No. 1-seeded contender, Charles Oliveira, battles No. 4-ranked Beneil Dariush in the co-feature with 155-pound title implications on the line.

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UFC 288 lost its original co-main event bout between top Lightweight contenders, Charles Oliveira, and Beneil Dariush, after “Do Bronx” suffered an injury. UFC President, Dana White, was quick to address the news when questioned at UFC Kansas City this past weekend, stating that a new fight was being worked on for the card.

Both Muhammad and Burns have been vocal about wanting to get their shots at the champion, Leon Edwards, while Colby Covington is seemingly being locked in place as the next challenger. Burns most recently got back on a win streak, defeating Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision at UFC 288 earlier this month. Standing across from Burns, Muhammad will look to stay unbeaten in 10 fights with only a “No Contest” to Edwards splitting his streak.

Check out UFC 288’s line up below:

• 135 lbs.: (C)Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo
• 170 lbs.: Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns
• 115 lbs.: Jessica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan
• 145 lbs.: Movsar Evloev vs. Bryce Mitchell
• 145 lbs.: Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain
• 155 lbs.: Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola
• 205 lbs.: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Devin Clark
• 170 lbs.: Khaos Williams vs. Rolando Bedoya
• 115 lbs.: Marina Rodriguez vs. Virna Jandiroba
• 265 lbs.: Braxton Smith vs. Parker Porter
• 185 lbs.: Phil Hawes vs. Ikram Aliskerov
• 125 lbs.: Rafael Estevam vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
• 185 lbs.: Joseph Holmes vs. Claudio Ribiero
• 135 lbs.: Daniel Santos vs. Johnny Munoz Jr.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 288 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 288: “Sterling vs. Cejudo” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.