UFC 288 results, live stream ‘Prelims’ updates | Sterling vs. Cejudo

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Newark, N.J., TONIGHT (Sat., May 6, 2023) for the first time in more than three years with a five-round pay-per-view (PPV) main event between Bantamweight roost-ruler, Aljamain Sterling, welcoming back former 125- and 135-pound “double champ,” Henry Cejudo. In UFC 288’s PPV super short-notice co-main event, former 170-pound title challenger, Gilbert Burns, will lock horns with red-hot No. 4-ranked contender, Belal Muhammad, in a Welterweight showdown that is supposed to earn the winner the next title shot (after Colby Covington). We’ve got Kron Gracie, Jessica Andrade and Movsar Evloev, too!

IT’S AN HISTORIC BANTAMWEIGHT BATTLE!

Before that action begins at 10 p.m. ET later this evening, though, MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 288 “Prelims” undercard below, beginning with the first fight at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET). We will then cover UFC 288’s PPV main card in a separate thread right here, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Bet on UFC 288 at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Sterling vs. Cejudo.” Without further delay, see below for the latest UFC 288 “Prelims” undercard results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action.)

UFC 288 PPV MAIN CARD QUICK RESULTS:

Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo — Sterling def. Cejudo by split decision (48-47 x2, 47-48)
Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns — Muhammad def. Burns by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46 x2) — RECAP!
Jessica Andrade vs. Xiaonan Yan — Yan def. Andrade by KO (punch), Rd. 1, 2:20
Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes — Evloev def. Lopes by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain — Jourdain def. Gracie by unanimous decision (30-27x3)

UFC 288 ESPN/ESPN+ ‘PRELIMS’ QUICK RESULTS:

155 lbs.: Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola — Dober def. Frevola by TKO (punches) at 4:08 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS!
205 lbs.: Devin Clark vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu — Nzechukwu def. Clark by technical submission (ninja choke) at 2:28 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS
170 lbs.: Rolando Bedoya vs. Khaos Williams — Williams def. Bedoya by split decision (27-30, 29-28 x2)
115 lbs.: Virna Jandiroba vs. Marina Rodriguez — Jandiroba def. Rodriguez by unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
265 lbs.: Parker Porter vs. Braxton Smith — Porter def. Smith by TKO (punches) at 2:10 of Round One
185 lbs.: Phil Hawes vs. Ikram Aliskerov — Aliskerov def. Hawes by KO (punch) at 2:10 of Round One — HIGHLIGHTS
185 lbs.: Joseph Holmes vs. Claudio Ribeiro — Ribeiro def. Holmes by TKO (punches) at 3:21 of Round Two — HIGHLIGHTS

UFC 288 ‘PRELIMS’ PLAY-BY-PLAY RESULTS:

155 lbs.: Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola

Round one: Frevola comes out red-hot, landing heavy kicks and a clean right hand. Dober walking through it and swinging heat. Frevola shoots, denied, lands a knee a minute in. Hard lead left by Dober. Head kick attempt. Dober continuing to stalk two minutes in. Heavy straight left to answer a low kick. Body shot stings Frevola and Dober follows with another good left upstairs. Frevola still swinging, lands a body kick. Counter left by Dober, who refuses to take a backward step. Two minutes to go.

Big exchange, Frevola lands a right on the exit. Clean head kick lands for him. Dober backs him to the fence and walks into a gnarly Superman punch. Wheel kick attempt in return. Counter 1-2 by Frevola. Dober rips the body with a left hand and Frevola detonates a monster counter right in return. Dober crumbles to the ground, and despite the ref giving him every chance to try and fight through it, the onslaught of Frevola forces the ref into action.

Final result: Frevola def. Dober by TKO (punches)

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205 lbs.: Devin Clark vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu

Round one: Clark slips throwing a leg kick, pops right back up. He shoots, denied. One minute in. Good level change by Clark gets the body lock and he hauls Nzechukwu to the fence. Nzechukwu reverses with over/unders. Two minutes in. Short lefts from Nzechukwu against the fence. Lots of head pressure. Body lock for Nzechukwu. Two minutes to go.

Solid elbows from Nzechukwu before they separate. He tries to stalk Clark and runs into a a brutal counter right. He staggers back and Clark tries to unload with punches and elbows against the fence. Nzechukwu weathers it and comes back with knees and elbows. One minute to go. Vicious elbows by Nzechukwu. Clark somehow manages to survive but he’s still stuck against the fence. Another huge elbow. Big knees by Nzechkuwu, elbows as well. 10-9 Nzechukwu.

Round two: Nzechukwu comes out strong, bullies Clark to the fence again. Hard knees and elbows. They separate. Clark just can’t stop Nzechkwu from walking him down. There’s some nice shots by Clark, but he gives up the Thai clinch and eats more knees a minute in. Left hands, heavy knee by Nzechukwu. Again he gets the Thai clinch and rips him with knees to the body. Clark backs off, then hunts a single-leg. Nzechukwu answers with a ninja choke and puts on the squeeze, strangling Clark unconscious in a matter of seconds.

Final result: Nzechukwu def. Clark by technical submission (ninja choke)

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170 lbs.: Rolando Bedoya vs. Khaos Williams

Round one: Low kicks from Bedoya to start. Williams tries to blitz with a wild flurry, can’t land clean. Solid counters by Bedoya. Big 1-2 from Williams kicks off a combo a minute in. Bedoya continuing to catch him coming in with right hands. Williams puts him on the fence. Trading knees inside. They separate. Two minutes in. Trading low kicks. Good 1-2 lands for Bedoya. Overhand right by Williams in return. Body shots, then a blitz on the fence that Bedoya answers with counters. Heavy lead right by Williams, then another with two minutes to go.

Body knees from Bedoya in the clinch. Good knee by Williams on the exit. Low kick exchanges. Quick counter by Bedoya with a minute to go. Williams low kicks answered in kind. Big exchange on the fence. Bedoya catches a kick, can’t use it. Williams chases him with a left hook, then puts him on the fence at the bell. 10-9 Williams.

Round two: Trading low kicks to start. Short left hook by Williams, who whiffs on the rest of the flurry a minute in. Continuing to tear up each other’s legs. Bedoya lead left. He catches a low kick and lands a pair of counter rights. Williams blitz falls short. Nice jabs from Bedoya in return two minutes in. Heavy exchange in the center. Good 1-2 from Bedoya, who seems like he’s finding his groove. Uppercut from Williams on the exit. Good low kick by Bedoya draws a reaction. Two minutes to go.

Short blitz by Williams. Bedoya mocking Williams at this point, plinking away with jabs and low kicks. One minute to go. Bedoya lands a head kick, eats a body shot. Body kick from Williams, then an ugly left hand. Heavy low kick by Bedoya in return. Williams swinging for the fences, gets clipped by a right on the way in. More clean counters by Bedoya. 10-9 Bedoya.

Round three: Both men slam home kicks until they briefly tie up. 1-2-3 from Williams, counter right from Bedoya. Heavy exchange. Bedoya’s landing a lot of right hands but they’re swatting. Continuing to club away at each other a minute in. Another counter right by Bedoya. Clean boxing. Williams comes back with a heavy right swing. More 1-2s landing for Bedoya. Clean jabs. Two minutes in. Williams looking like he’s fading but he’s still slinging haymakers. Jab from Bedoya, low kick exchange. They trade jabs with two minutes to go.

Jab and low kick again by Bedoya. 1-1-2. Slick combo. He hauls Williams to the fence, sneaks in an elbow on the break. Hard overhand right by Williams with a minute to go. Trading slow haymakers in center cage. Both club each other with big right hands in the waning seconds. 10-9 Bedoya.

Final result: Williams def. Bedoya by split decision

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115 lbs.: Virna Jandiroba vs. Marina Rodriguez

Round one: Rodriguez keeping her distance, flicking out her jab. Powerful double-leg puts Jandiroba on top at the base of the fence. Rodriguez fires some elbows before accepting being stuck on her seat. One minute in. Jandiroba trying to work her way higher into a proper mount. Short left hands. Looking for the back, one hook in. More left hands, nearly into mount two minutes in. Jandiroba settles for half guard. Short ground-and-pound. Two minutes to go.

More ground-and-pound from Jandiroba, who latches onto a kimura when Rodriguez tries to make a move. The fence is in the way. She drops it and instead fires elbows with a minute to go. Solid upkick by Rodriguez. Jandiroba comes back down into half guard. Rodriguez trying to throw off her back. 10-9 Jandiroba.

Round two: Ugly spinning back fist attempts by Jandiroba. She ties up, eats a knee. Low single by Jandiroba into a body lock. Rodriguez defending with the whizzer a minute in. Short lefts by Jandiroba. Jandiroba drops for a leg, uses it to take top position two minutes in. Half guard for Jandiroba. Lots of pressure, not many strikes. Two minutes to go.

Jandiroba looking to take side control, does so despite the fence being in the way. One minute to go. Rodriguez trying to hit the body off her back. Elbows from Jandiroba, then a potential north-south choke. Rodriguez escapes and eats elbows until the bell. 10-9 Jandiroba.

Round three: Rodriguez fakes a step-in and eats a pair of punches for her trouble. Another failed spin by Jandiroba, who eats a combination. One minute in. Intercepting knee from Rodriguez. Jandiroba fakes a shot, lands a combo, eats one in return. Flying knee by Rodriguez kicks off a flurry on the ropes. Jandiroba throwing back. She shoots, hauls Rodriguez to the fence, and steadily drags her back to the mat. Rodriguez stuck on her rear, landing elbows two minutes in. Steadily working her way into proper top position. Two minutes to go.

Jandiroba working to set up an arm triangle. Rodriguez waiting it out, idly swatting her body. One minute to go. Jandiroba loses it and drops elbows inside. Rodriguez regains guard and tries to double-punch her, then fires a storm of upkicks that Jandiroba eats without concern. Rodriguez tries a final flurry off her back. 10-9 Jandiroba.

Final result: Jandiroba def. Rodriguez by unanimous decision

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265 lbs.: Parker Porter vs. Braxton Smith

Round one: Smith already loading up on the right hand, turns aside a level change. Smith really putting everything behind his punches. Good underhooks to deny a level change against the fence. Nice counters from Porter a minute in. Big exchange in the center. Smith barreling after him, throwing heat. Stiff jabs by Porter. Clinch uppercuts, nice knee. Smith changes levels and kinda flops to his knees, allowing Porter to get to turtle and then the mount. Porter postures up and Donkey Kongs him until the ref steps in.

Final result: Porter def. Smith by TKO (punches)

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185 lbs.: Phil Hawes vs. Ikram Aliskerov

Round one: Trading kicks and jabs to start. Solid kicks by Hawes in the early going. Counter right and body kick a minute in. Another counter right catches Aliskerov throwing. Aliskerov throwing a lot of naked kicks and getting consistently punished for it. Another body kick by Hawes. Aliskerov comes back with a nice combination. Head kick appears to catch Hawes leaning and Aliskerov starts turning up the heat, ultimately finding the mark with a perfect right hand that deactivates Hawes on impact. Hawes slowly disintegrates to the mat and Aliskerov doesn’t even bother to follow up, celebrating his walk-off knockout before the ref even calls it.

Final result: Aliskerov def. Hawes by KO (punch)

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185 lbs.: Joseph Holmes vs. Claudio Ribeiro

Round one: Quick jab lands for Holmes. Knee stomps, low kick. Ribeira wading after him, falling short with punches. Hard 1-2 into a takedown by Holmes. Ribeiro pops right back up and puts him on the fence. One minute in. Holmes gets double unders and reverses. Hunting for trips. He changes levels, can’t get anything two minutes in. The crowd’s getting cranky. The announcers are bloviating about how this is the most grueling part of MMA, so take a shot. They separate with just over two minutes to go.

Hard low kick from Ribeiro knocks Holmes off his feet. Holmes fires a 1-2 and Ribeiro wings counters before hitting a double-leg into half guard. Holmes working his way to his feet, stuck on his knees with a minute to go. Ribeiro doing a good job of keeping him down, working towards mount. Low mount against the fence, landing punches. He takes the back in the last 10 seconds and bombs away until the bell, but Holmes manages to survive. 10-9 Ribeiro.

Round two: Ribeiro punches his way back into the clinch and hauls Holmes to the fence. Jockeying for position, Holmes reverses. One minute in. Ribeiro turns, separates, and returns to the center. Both land low kicks. Check hook from Ribeiro. Two minutes in. Ribeiro seemingly loading up on counters while Holmes keeps his distance. Holmes continuing to attack the lead leg. Ribeiro closes the distance with a hard combo and puts him on the fence, then floors him with a hard knee. Holmes eating shots with two minutes to go.

Ribeiro postures out of a potential armbar, then stands over a turtling Holmes and bombs away for the finish.

Final result: Ribeiro def. Holmes by TKO (punches)

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Remember: MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of UFC 288’s entire five-fight PPV main card RIGHT HERE, beginning 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.