UFC 288 PPV line-up revealed: Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo headlines

The bantamweight championship fight between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo headlines the next UFC pay-per-view event.

By: Kristen King | 6 months ago
UFC 288 PPV line-up revealed: Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo headlines
April 9, 2022, Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville, FL, United States: JACKSONVILLE, FL - APRIL 9: Aljamain Sterling stands in his corner between rounds of his bout against Petr Yan in their Bantamweight fight during the UFC 273 event at Vystar Memorial Arena on April 9, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Jacksonville, Florida United States - ZUMAp175 20220409_zsa_p175_155 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex

The UFC has revealed the line-up for the pay-per-view portion of UFC 288, the upcoming event scheduled for May 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. 

Sterling vs. Cejudo headlines UFC 288

As expected, reigning UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling defends against Henry Cejudo in the headliner, while Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush face off in a potential No. 1 contender at lightweight in the co-headliner.

Following a pair of wins against Petr Yan, the ‘Funk Master’ moved on to his next challenge: former two-time UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw. Sterling ran roughshod over the Treigning Lab star, getting a second-round TKO at UFC 280 this past October.

Cejudo has not fought since UFC 249, where he defeated Dominick Cruz via second-round TKO. Immediately after the fight, ‘Triple C’ revealed that he was retiring from mixed martial arts. He remained inactive for nearly three years until he announced his return a year ago. Now, Cejudo has the opportunity to become a two-time UFC bantamweight champion against Sterling. 

Former UFC lightweight champion Oliveira hopes to return to the win column following a second-round submission loss to Islam Makhachev. ‘Do Bronx’ shares the Octagon with Dariush, who has rattled off eight consecutive wins in his current UFC run. Recently, the Kings MMA representative added Mateusz Gamrot to his résumé via unanimous decision. 

Oliveira and Dariush were previously paired up for UFC Fight Island 4, but the former was forced to withdraw due to undisclosed reasons. 

Full PPV line-up for UFC 288: Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo confirmed

The full PPV line-up for UFC 288 is as follows: 

  • Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo
  • Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush
  • Jéssica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan
  • Bryce Mitchell vs. Jonathan Pearce
  • Charles Jourdain vs. Kron Gracie

Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more updates to the event as they become available in the coming weeks.

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About the author
Kristen King
Kristen King

Kristen King is a writer for Bloody Elbow. She has covered combat sports since 2016, getting her start with outlets such as FanSided, MyMMANews and MMA-Prospects. She joined the BE team in 2020, covering a mix of news, events and injuries. In her time with BE, Kristen has created ‘Fright of the Night,’ a series that highlights some of the worst injuries in the sport.

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