5 frontrunners for Fight of the Night at UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo

UFC 288 will be underway at the Prudential Center in Newark this Saturday, headlined by a massive championship bout atop the bantamweight division. The pay-per-view features a litany of explosive matchups and there'll be no shortage of contenders for Fight of the Night honors.

Aljamain Sterling will look to defend his 135-pound strap against former two-division champion Henry Cejudo in the main event, with a pivotal welterweight matchup between Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad set to co-headline the upcoming pay-per-view.

The fight card is stacked with competitive fights from top-to-bottom and should deliver the goods on Saturday night. Competition for post-fight bonuses will be bustling this weekend, so fans are surely in for a treat.

On that note, here are the five frontrunners for Fight of the Night at UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo.

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#5. Jessica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan

The UFC's strawweight division is the most competitive and exciting women's bracket across combat sports. Two top contenders in the division, Jessica Andrade and Yan Xiaonan, are set to collide in a high stakes clash this Saturday, with the victor potentially fighting for the title next.

Both Jessica Andrade and Yan Xiaonan are primarily strikers who favor forward pressure, which should make for an entertaining bout. Andrade boasts impressive power and volume with her punches, while Xiaonan has a more diverse striking arsenal.

Andrade is undoubtedly the stronger fighter of the two and has an underrated submission game to boot. However, Xiaonan's performance against grappling phenom Mackenzie Dern last year showed that the Chinese 115-pounder can hold her own on the mat.

Andrade and Xiaonan are chasing the current strawweight champion, Zhang Weili. A title shot could be on offer for the winner, and an all-Chinese title bout would be historic on so many levels if Xiaonan comes out on top. If Andrade wins, a rematch could be on the table for later this year.

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#4. Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo – UFC 288 main event

The UFC 288 pay-per-view headliner is a highly intriguing matchup that could easily go either way. Aljamain Sterling will look to defend his bantamweight title for a third time when he takes on the toughest stylistic matchup of his title reign, Henry Cejudo, next.

Henry Cejudo isn't shy about his accomplishments in combat sports. The outspoken Olympian boasts an Olympic Gold Medal in wrestling and is a former two-division champion in the UFC. Cejudo vacated his titles after beating Dominick Cruz back in 2020 and is looking to re-claim the belt he never lost.

This is a tricky matchup for both fighters as it remains to be seen how Cejudo's wrestling fares against Aljamain Sterling's elite jiu-jitsu. Sterling is more than happy to engage in grappling exchanges, where he is certainly more of a submission threat than 'Triple C'.

On the feet, Cejudo is definitely the better striker, but he'll be at a significant reach disadvantage against Sterling. 'Funk Master' will enjoy a staggering seven-inch reach advantage over the challenger, so distance management will be key in this championship bout.

While it's certainly possible for Sterling to hold a backpack position and gain control time, and for Cejudo to just hold Sterling down, we're counting on their grappling credentials to cancel each other out. With a lucrative fight against Sean O'Malley up for grabs, expect both 135-pounders to come in very motivated.

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#3. Charles Jourdain vs. Kron Gracie

The UFC 288 pay-per-view opener sees the return of Kron Gracie after a three-year hiatus. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigy will square off against Charles Jourdain as both fighters look to return to winning ways, and this exciting matchup is the perfect way to kick off the main card.

Charles Jourdain is among the most watchable featherweights around, but back-to-back decision losses to Shane Burgos and Nathaniel Wood last year crushed his momentum. At his best, Jourdain is must-see TV. The Canadian is known for his finishing ability, with only one of his wins coming via decision.

Kron Gracie, son of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu icon Rickson Gracie, pulled off three submission wins in Japanese promotion RIZIN before joining the UFC. The grappling phenom then choked out Alex Caceras in his octagon debut before being outpointed by Cub Swanson in a bout that came far too early in his career.

It remains to be seen how Gracie's game has evolved since that loss to Swanson in 2019. Jourdain undoubtedly has the striking edge and will be forced to sprawl-and-brawl in this one, because if the fight hits the mat, he could find himself out of his depth.

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#2. Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns – UFC 288 co-main event

Top-ranked welterweights Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad, two fighters who already warrant a title shot with their recent runs, will look to seal their place in a championship bout with a win on Saturday night. There's so many variables to consider going into this pivotal fight, which is all but guaranteed to deliver.

Gilbert Burns put on a dominant showing against Jorge Masvidal just three weeks ago at the last pay-per-view in Miami. After the initally scheduled UFC 288 co-headliner between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush got postponed, Burns and fellow top tier 170-pounder Belal Muhammad were announced as the new short notice co-main event.

Notably, Burns cut weight just three weeks ago, but didn't sustain too much damage against Masvidal. However, back-to-back weight cuts so close together can prove to be detrimental. Meanwhile, Muhammad is coming off Ramadan and one can only imagine the effects of fasting all day while continuing to train.

Stylistically, it's an interesting matchup as well. Burns has heavy hands and poses a lethal submission threat, while Muhammad relies on his volume, pressure and cardio. It would be unwise for 'Remember the Name' to try to take his Brazilian counterpart down, so this fight could play out on the feet.

Lastly, as per the request of Muhammad, which Burns agreed to, this is a five-rounder. With two hungry and well-rounded contenders seemingly guaranteed a shot at gold with a win this weekend, UFC 288's new co-main event is certainly a welcome addition to the card.

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#1. Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola

For whatever reason, the most explosive fight on offer at UFC 288 isn't even on the main card. Lightweights Drew Dober and Matt Frevola will lock horns in the final fight of the prelims in a bout that can't possibly disappoint.

Watching Drew Dober fight is a sight to behold. The all-action Colorado native has never had a boring fight and is always looking to put on a show for the fans. Dober has only lost to the cream of the crop at 155 pounds, but is now riding a three-fight win streak which vaulted him to the No.14 spot in the rankings.

Dober loves to stand-and-bang and he'll have a willing dance partner at the Prudential Center this weekend in Matt Frevola. 'The Steamrolla' has knocked out his last two opponents in the first round and will be eager to claim Dober's spot in the rankings with a win.

Like the Charles Jourdain vs. Kron Gracie fight and unlike the three other entries on this list, there are no title implications for this bout. It's just a fantastic matchup that serves as the perfect appetizer before a sizzling main card.