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MMA Preview: UFC 288 – Aljamain Sterling (22-3-0) vs Henry Cejudo (16-2-0)

Almost exactly three years after his previous fight, Henry Cejudo is coming back to the Octagon. His plan is to get his UFC Bantamweight title back, for which he’ll have to defeat the reigning champion Aljamain Sterling in the main event of UFC 288.

Aljamain Sterling vs Henry Cejudo Odds
Moneyline Odds
Aljamain Sterling -120
Henry Cejudo -110
*Odds taken from Sports Odds Direct on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?
Place: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023
Time: ~10:00 PM ET
How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass

Aljamain Sterling to Shush His Critics
Aljamain Sterling is the champion of the UFC Bantamweight Division, but his reign’s been stained with controversies. Firstly, he won the title after Petr Yan got disqualified for an illegal knee. In his first title defense, he defeated Yan by a split decision, which many believed was wrong – including the UFC President Dana White.

Then, in his most recent fight, Aljo defended his title against T. J. Dillashaw. He beat him by TKO after Dillashaw dislocated his shoulder. For all these reasons, Sterling’s been under a lot of criticism, with some UFC pundits raising their doubts about whether he’s good enough to be a champ.

The good news for Aljo is that he can prove them wrong this coming Saturday. The bad news is that for that, he needs to defeat Henry Cejudo.

Henry Cejudo Coming Back in Style
Henry Cejudo is widely regarded as one of the finest fighters in history. He’s an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, who used to hold two UFC titles before deciding to retire in 2020. Three years later, he’s coming back to fight again.

During his MMA days, Cejudo won 16 fights, while losing only two. His first loss happened to legendary Demetrius Johnson, whom many consider to be the GOAT of the flyweight division. Cejudo’s second loss was a split-decision loss to Joseph Benavidez.

Since then, however, he’s undefeated with six wins in the UFC, one of which saw him exact his revenge against Johnson. What’s very interesting is that he won each of his last three fights by TKO, which is proof that this guy is an excellent striker in addition to being a fantastic wrestler.

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