The UFC made its return to New Jersey after nearly four years Saturday with UFC 288, which took place at Prudential Center in Newark and featured a 12-fight lineup with six stoppage results.
One of the fights that went the distance happened in the main event when Aljamain Sterling (23-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) retained the bantamweight title with a split decision win over former two-division champ Henry Cejudo (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC), who was returning from a three-year retirement.
For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 288.
Event stats
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $267,500.
Yan Xiaonan, Matt Frevola, Movsar Evloev and Diego Lopes earned $50,000 UFC 288 fight-night bonuses.
Debuting fighters went 1-3 on the card.
UFC 288 drew an announced attendance of 17,559 for a live gate of $5,182,210.36, which UFC president Dana White said was a sporting event gate record for Prudential Center.
Betting favorites went 8-4 on the card.
Betting favorites improved to 8-7 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:16:37.
Aljamain Sterling def. Henry Cejudo
Sterling’s three consecutive UFC title defenses are second-most among current champions behind Alexander Volkanovski (four).
Sterling’s three consecutive UFC bantamweight title defenses are most by any champion in divisional history.
Sterling’s four victories in UFC bantamweight title fights are tied with Dominick Cruz and Renan Barao for second-most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (five).
Sterling’s 14 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Sterling’s nine-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.
Sterling’s nine-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is the longest active streak in divisional history.
Sterling has earned eight of his 15 UFC victories by decision.
Cejudo fell to 7-1 in bantamweight competition during his career.
Cejudo has suffered two of his three career losses by decision.
Belal Muhammad def. Gilbert Burns
Belal Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) improved to 13-1 with one no contest in his past 14 fights dating back to February 2017. His lone defeat came against Geoff Neal at UFC on ESPN+ 1.
Muhammad’s 10-fight UFC unbeaten streak at welterweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Leon Edwards (12).
Muhammad has earned 17 of his 23 career victories by decision. That includes 11 of his 14 UFC wins.
Muhammad’s 11 decision victories in UFC welterweight competition are third-most in divisional history behind Neil Magny (13) and Georges St-Pierre (12).
Gilbert Burns (22-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) fell to 3-3 in his past six fights dating back to February 2021.
Burns fell to 7-3 since he returned to the welterweight division in August 2019.
Burns has suffered four of his six career losses by decision.
Yan Xiaonan def. Jessica Andrade
Yan Xiaonan (15-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) improved to 12-2 (with one no contest) since returning from a nearly five-year layoff in July 2015.
Xiaonan has earned all of her career stoppage victories by knockout.
Jessica Andrade (24-11 MMA, 15-9 UFC) fell to 1-1 since she returned to the UFC strawweight division in April 2022.
Andrade has suffered eight of her 11 career losses by stoppage.
Movsar Evloev def. Diego Lopes
Movsar Evloev’s (17-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Alexander Volkanovski (seven).
Evloev has earned all seven of his UFC victories by decision.
Evloev has completed 34 takedowns in his six UFC appearances.
Evloev has landed two or more takedowns against six of his seven UFC opponents.
Diego Lopes (20-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered four of his six career losses by decision.
Charles Jourdain def. Kron Gracie
Kron Gracie (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after start his career 5-0.
Gracie has suffered both of his career losses by decision.
Matt Frevola def. Drew Dober
Matt Frevola (11-3-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) has earned seven of his 11 career victories by stoppage.
Frevola’s three-fight UFC knockout streak is tied for the second-longest active streak in the company behind Sergei Pavlovich (six).
Drew Dober (26-12 MMA, 13-7 UFC) suffered his first knockout loss since April 1, 2011 – a span of 4,418 days and 29 fights.
Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Devin Clark
Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied for the second-longest active streak in the division behind Jamahal Hill (four).
Nzechukwu earned the first submission victory of his career.
Devin Clark (14-8 MMA, 8-8 UFC) has suffered seven of his eight career losses by stoppage.
Khaos Williams def. Rolando Bedoya
Rolando Bedoya (13-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered both of his career losses by decision.
Virna Jandiroba def. Marina Rodriguez
Marina Rodriguez (17-3-2 MMA, 6-3-2 UFC) has suffered two of her three career losses by decision.
Parker Porter def. Braxton Smith
Parker Porter (13-9 MMA, 3-4 UFC) has earned 10 of his 14 career victories by stoppage.
Braxton Smith (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered both of his career losses by knockout.
Ikram Aliskerov def. Phil Hawes
Phil Hawes (12-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has suffered all five of his career losses by stoppage.
Hawes has suffered all three of his UFC losses by knockout.
Claudio Ribeiro def. Joseph Holmes
Claudio Ribeiro (11-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all 11 of his career victories by knockout.
Joseph Holmes (8-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC) suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 288.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
