UFC 288 was headlined by a bantamweight title fight featuring former champion Henry Cejudo challenging Aljamain Sterling.
Sterling (23-3 MMA) was returning to action for the first time since scoring a TKO victory over TJ Dillashaw in October of last year. That win had marked ‘FunkMaster’s’ second career title dedense, as he had previously defeated Petr Yan by split decision after claiming the belt from the Russian via DQ.
Meanwhile, Henry Cejudo (16-3 MMA) was fighting for the first time in over three years this evening. ‘Triple C’, a former flyweight and bantamweight champion, had last competed in May of 2020, earning a TKO victory over Dominick Cruz to defend his bantamweight title. The former Olympic Gold medalist had of course announced his retirement after that fight.
Tonight’s UFC 288 headliner went the full twenty-five minutes. Aljamain Sterling appears to get the better of Henry Cejudo in the opening round, but ‘Triple C’ came back and made things competitive in round two. However, ‘Funkmaster’ appeared to pull away in rounds three and four, leaving many fans believing Cejudo needed a finish in the fifth and final round. Although the former champ got the better of Sterling in the final five minutes, it was not enough to sway the judges in his favor.
Official UFC 288 Result: Aljamain Sterling def. Henry Cejudo by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
Check out how the pros reacted to Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 below:
Post-fight reactions to Aljamain Sterling defeating Henry Cejudo at UFC 288:
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