5 biggest things that happened at UFC 288
UFC 288 recently wrapped up a weekend of highly anticipated fights. Reigning bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling faced Olympic gold medalist and former divisional titleholder Henry Cejudo in the main event. Meanwhile, a welterweight title eliminator was booked for the co-main event slot.
Gilbert Burns made a quick turnaround, with the intention of working his way back into title contention, by scoring a win over the highly ranked Belal Muhammad. Meanwhile, 'Remember the Name' sought to punctuate his lengthy unbeaten streak with a win that would propel him into his first-ever UFC title fight.
Other notable fights also took place this past Saturday. Some fights were shocking, while others drew mixed emotions from fans. Much happened after UFC 288 came to a close, so this list details five of the biggest things that happened after the event ended.
#5. Matt Frevola calls out Paddy Pimblett
In the main event of the preliminary card, Matt Frevola shattered Drew Dober's chin to hand the tough Nebraskan his first-ever knockout loss in the UFC. Prior to signing with Dana White's promotion, Drew Dober had only ever been knocked out once in his career.
Matt Frevola calls out Paddy Pimblett after his huge win at #UFC288 🗣️ https://t.co/5EMXOBufII
However, 'The Steamrolla' needed just four minutes to flatten his foe. After defeating him, Matt Frevola took advantage of his post-fight interview and channeled Chael Sonnen by shouting Paddy Pimblett's name, declaring that 'The Baddy' sucks and that the pair should lock horns inside the octagon.
With fans and even some fighters accusing Pimblett of avoiding stiffer competition, Frevola's callout can't be ignored, especially after his KO win extended his win streak to three consecutive victories.
#4. Kron Gracie channels Royce Gracie in the worst way
There's no denying that Kron Gracie is one of the greatest grapplers in the UFC. Unfortunately, there's not much else to the Brazilian's skill set. Leading into his first appearance inside the octagon in nearly four years, 'Ice Cream Kron' looked to remind the world of the Gracie clan's status as martial arts royalty.
Unfortunately, he didn't channel Royce Gracie's historic triumph in the UFC during the 90s. Instead, he channeled his uncle's dated skill set by fighting like a mixed martial artist from MMA's early days. 'Ice Cream Kron' faced Charles Jourdain at UFC 288, and his offense looked impotent.
Charles Jourdain defeats Kron Gracie via UD at UFC 288
Never want to see Kron in an MMA fight again
(@espnmma) https://t.co/FhkkvWRViW
He failed to score any takedowns, and with no serviceable striking to speak of, Gracie resorted to pulling guard and scooting across the cage. Furthermore, he searched for submissions off of his back, which rarely works in modern-day MMA. It's extremely difficult to submit an opponent from one's guard.
Gracie lost a lopsided decision, and his one-dimensional approach made him look like a relic of the past in the cage. While he was once undefeated, he has now lost his last two fights.
#3. Yan Xiaonan sets up the first-ever all-Chinese UFC title fight
Prior to UFC 288, Yan Xiaonan spoke to Helen Yee during an interview, where she expressed her desire to challenge Zhang Weili for the strawweight title if she emerged victorious against former champion Jéssica Andrade. If this is her plan, her win this past Saturday couldn't have gone any better than it did.
Yan Xiaonan countered the Brazilian's short hooks with crisp jab-right combinations. Andrade has always had a poor set of habits that made her very hittable. She doesn't move her head off the center line, doesn't cut off the cage, nor does she tuck her chin. Instead, she rushes forward with her chin exposed.
WE HAVE A NEW STRAWWEIGHT CONTENDER!!
Yan Xiaonan stops Jessica Andrade in the first round!! #UFC288 https://t.co/l0Jb7xHMWk
Historically, her defense began and ended with her iron chin. Much like Zhang Weili did in the past, Yan Xiaonan made her pay for this approach. As 'Bate Estaca' lunged forward into range with three left hooks in a row, 'Fury' countered her with a right hand, flooring her for a first-round KO.
In her post-fight interview, Yan called for a title fight with her countrywoman, Zhang, promising that the two of them will represent China well. If the UFC moves forward with her idea, it will be the first-ever all-Chinese title fight in the promotion's history.
#2. Belal Muhammad earns his UFC title shot under suboptimal circumstances
Belal Muhammad had everything going against him prior to his co-main event fight with Gilbert Burns. He was coming off a month of fasting due to Ramadan, which initially prompted him to request a middleweight bout with 'Durinho,' which left fans certain that 'Remember the Name' had a difficult weight cut ahead.
Meanwhile, Burns refused his suggestion and hoped to capitalize on the momentum he created from defeating Jorge Masvidal a month prior. This stacked the cards against Belal Muhammad, against whom Gilbert Burns was a difficult stylistic matchup — on paper, at least.
Belal Muhammad defeats Gilbert Burns via UD at UFC 288
Gilbert hurt his shoulder early in the fight
Belal fought a beautiful, technical fight. Landed a ton of brutal kicks. He will get a shot at the title next
(@ufc) https://t.co/1x5uBKAxUi
However, Burns injured his left arm early in the first round after landing awkwardly on it after a takedown. This rendered him a one-armed fighter for the rest of the bout. While Muhammad did everything he needed to do to capture a win, Burns' injury will taint his victory in the eyes of some fans, giving fuel to his detractors.
According to Dana White, however, this win guarantees 'Remember the Name' a title fight against the winner of Leon Edwards-Colby Covington.
#1. Aljamain Sterling silences his doubters
There was very little cage/ring rust for Henry Cejudo at UFC 288. Despite all his talk about being vastly superior to Aljamain Sterling, their fight was closer than either man expected, with both scoring takedowns against each other and having close striking battles.
“I think I’m an Olympic gold medalist now."
Aljamain Sterling talks about holding his own against Henry Cejudo in the wrestling department 🥇 #UFC288 https://t.co/rXvM6hiURB
In the end, 'Funk Master' did enough to claim victory to record his third consecutive title defense, which is the most in UFC bantamweight history. Now, there is not much that Sterling's detractors can say after his past two wins were discredited. After his win, a promotional face-off took place with Sean O'Malley in the cage.
The two men jawed at each other, with Merab Dvalishvili — Aljamain Sterling's best friend — temporarily stealing 'Sugar's' jacket and nearly sparking a brawl. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and Sterling is now scheduled to face an opponent who many fans believe he has a massive advantage over.