Saturday Night is a big one for UFC betting. To illuminate, UFC 288 from Newark, New Jersey, offers one of the best cards of the 2023 campaign. Including a championship matchup in the main event. Aljamain Sterling will defend his bantamweight championship belt against Henry Cejudo. Additionally, there are three bouts featuring ranked combatants. Belal Muhammad faces Gilbert Burns in a top-5 welterweight bout. Jessica Andrade fights Xiaonan Yan in a top-6 women’s strawweight bout. And then Movsar Evloev and Bryce Mitchell tangle in a ranked featherweight clash. ESPN+ delivers all the action on Saturday night.
UFC 288 Sterling vs. Cejudo Main Card
| Date and Time: | Saturday, May 6, 2023, 10 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN+ |
Bantamweight Championship Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Aljamain Sterling | -105 |
| Henry Cejudo | -115 |
Overall, Aljamain Sterling has a sports betting record of 22-3. Henry Cejudo has a record of 16-2 for his career.
Late on, Aljamain Sterling is riding an 8-bout winning streak. He won the UFC Bantamweight championship on March 6, 2021, against Petr Yan. Yan was disqualified with an illegal knee. Since then, he has successfully defended his title belt two times. On April 9, 2022, Sterling won a split decision against Petr Yan. Last time out, Sterling defeated TJ Dillashaw in a 2nd-round TKO.
Henry Cejudo is a former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion. However, he has not stepped into the octagon for three years. His last fight was a 2nd-round TKO win over Dominick Cruz for the UFC bantamweight championship. Subsequently, he announced his retirement after the win. There was speculation that Cejudo retired in a ploy for a better contract. Regardless, his return is met with huge anticipation and excitement.
Welterweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Belal Muhammad | +105 |
| Gilbert Burns | -125 |
Belal Muhammad has a career record of 22-3. In comparison, Gilbert Burns stands at 22-5.
Late on, Belal Muhammad is riding a 4-bout winning streak. Last time out, Muhammad won a 2nd-round TKO over Sean Brady on October 22, 2022.
By contrast, Gilbert Burns is coming off two consecutive wins. On April 8, 2023, Burns won a unanimous decision against Jorge Masvidal. And on January 21, 2023, Burns won a 1st-round submission against Neil Magny.
Women’s Strawweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jessica Andrade | -190 |
| Xiaonan Yan | +160 |
Jessica Andrade has a career record of 24-10 with the UFC Betting odds. By contrast, Xiaonan Yan is 16-3 for her career.
Of course, Jessica Andrade is a former UFC women’s strawweight champion. She is coming off a 2nd-round submission loss to Erin Blanchfield on February 18, 2023. The loss snapped a 3-bout winning streak.
Last time out for Xiaonan Yan was a majority decision win over Mackenzie Dern on October 1, 2022. The win snapped a 2-bout losing streak.
Featherweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Movsar Evloev | -260 |
| Bryce Mitchell | +220 |
Movsar Evloev brings a career record of 16-0. In comparison, Bryce Mitchell is 15-2 in his career.
Featherweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kron Gracie | +160 |
| Charles Jourdain | -190 |
Overall, Kron Gracie has a career record of 5-1. And then Charles Jourdain is 13-6 in his career.
UFC 288 SBG Free Picks
In the main event, we are treated to an outstanding matchup between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo. Cejudo has been out of the octagon for three years. At the same time, Sterling is in championship form.
UFC 288 SBG Best Bets: Aljamain Sterling.