5 questions that will be answered at UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo

The UFC has delivered stacked pay-per-views one after another so far in 2023, and while the upcoming marquee event isn't as deep as the numbered cards of the past few months, it still has a lot to offer.

UFC 288 will be underway at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, this Saturday and will be headlined by a bantamweight title clash between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo. The co-main event is a pivotal matchup in the welterweight division pitting Gilbert Burns against Belal Muhammad.

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Apart from the two massively consequential fights atop the card, the remainder of UFC 288 features a litany of intriguing matchups, some of which have pretty big implications in their respective divisions. The MMA landscape is set to undergo a few more changes this weekend and it remains to be seen how things will pan out.

On that note, here are five questions that will be answered at UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo.

#5. Has Kron Gracie evolved as a fighter?

The last time we saw Kron Gracie inside the octagon was against Cub Swanson in 2019, when he suffered his first professional MMA defeat. The grappling phenom is set to return after nearly four years and it remains to be seen whether he's just back for one more fight or he's serious about a title run.

In his fight against Swanson, which arguably came too early in his career, Gracie's one-dimensional game got exposed as he attempted just two takedowns and got picked apart by the promotional veteran on the feet. Nevertheless, the duo earned Fight of the Night honors and Gracie showed true fighting spirit.

WHAT A FIGHT 🔥

Cub Swanson wins a fight of the year contender with Kron Gracie!

Two warriors 👊

#UFCTampa https://t.co/xO6G9j9R8K

Against the current crop of top tier featherweights, Kron Gracie can't afford to solely rely on his Brazilian jiu-jitsu to get the job done. Hopefully, he rounded out his game during his hiatus from the sport and will showcase new weapons on Saturday night.

Son of jiu-jitsu icon Rickson Gracie, Kron isn't to be trifled with on the mat. He has finished all of his career wins via submission, and if he's improved his offensive wrestling, the 145-pound division has a real problem on its hands.

Gracie has a tough fight ahead of him as he takes on Charles Jourdain, who has notably fought nine times during his counterpart's stint on the sidelines. This is a classic striker vs. grappler matchup, but if Gracie has added new wrinkles to his arsenal, Jourdain is in real trouble.

UFC 288 set to take place in New Jersey on May 6; Kron Gracie’s return vs. Charles Jourdain among additions

Full story: mmafighting.com/2023/3/7/23629… https://t.co/RCoJTNf5Zl

#4. Can Movsar Evloev deliver a statement-making win?

Undefeated in his professional career, Movsar Evloev has emerged as the divisional dark horse at featherweight. The formidable Russian was gearing up for the biggest fight of his career so far at UFC 288, where he was slated to fight popular 145-pounder Bryce Mitchell.

An unfortunate injury ruled Mitchell out just days before the pay-per-view, allowing Mexican featherweight Diego Lopes to make his UFC debut.

B.Mitchell out. Movsar Evloev will now fight Diego Lopes at #UFC288 on May 6th. (first rep. @CCLegaspi) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2023 https://t.co/UjJUGodNwy

This is very unfortunate for Movsar Evloev, who could've really broken through to the masses had he beaten Bryce Mitchell. While his unblemished 16-0 record is commendable, he hasn't faced any big names. Fortunately, he retained his spot on the main card and will have a lot of eyes on him this weekend.

Evloev is very well-rounded, but it's his wrestling that sets him apart from the rest. Currently holding the No.10 spot in the featherweight rankings, the 29-year-old could find himself fighting for a title early next year if he continues on his current trajectory.

One thing hurting Evloev's ascent up the rankings is the lack of finishes. All of his UFC wins have come via decision, but if he delivers a statement-making performance at the Prudential Center this weekend, expect bigger matchups down the line for the unbeaten Russian.

I've seen enough. At 16-0 (6-0 in the UFC) Movsar Evloev is officially a problem for the featherweight division 💯 (via @MovsarUFC) https://t.co/fi94cpePY8

#3. Who will fight for the welterweight title after Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington?

UFC president Dana White has already made it clear that Colby Covington is next in line to contest Leon Edwards' welterweight belt. The winner of that title fight, whenever it happens, will know who they'll be defending the belt against next – either Gilbert Burns or Belal Muhammad.

Belal Muhammad believes he is next in line for the title if he beats Gilbert Burns at #UFC288 💪🏆

🔗sportskeeda.com/mma/news-belal…

#UFC #MMA | @bullyb170 @ufc https://t.co/Tb4u4pDaWG

Gilbert Burns, who fought Jorge Masvidal just three weeks ago at the last pay-per-view, and Belal Muhammad, who is coming off Ramadan, both accepted this short-notice fight on one condition – winner gets a title shot. The promotion obliged and we now have hugely consequential bout on our hands.

Moreover, to the credit of both welterweights, this is a rare non-championship pay-per-view five-rounder, further adding to the anticipation. Burns is eyeing his third win in just five months, while Muhammad is looking to add to his already impressive nine-fight unbeaten streak.

With two highly motivated and elite contenders without proper training camps set to collide in the co-headliner, this fight is guaranteed to deliver. A shot at UFC gold beckons for the victor.

Gilbert Burns has been "guaranteed" his next fight is for UFC welterweight gold if he beats Belal Muhammad.

#UFC288 | Full story: bit.ly/3AQ15lQ https://t.co/ORknBDzhDQ

#2. Is Aljamain Sterling the greatest UFC bantamweight of all time?

Dominick Cruz is widely regarded as the greatest 135-pounder in MMA history, thanks to his scorching run across the WEC and UFC from 2008 to 2016.

However, when it comes to who the greatest UFC bantamweight of all time is, there are many worthy contenders including Cruz himself, Renan Barao, T.J. Dillashaw and the current champion, Aljamain Sterling.

Is Aljamain Sterling the bantamweight GOAT if he beats Henry Cejudo? 🐐🧐

#UFC288 | Full story: bit.ly/3Lute78 https://t.co/x63AY3SGh6

Tied for most wins in UFC bantamweight history, Aljamain Sterling hasn't tasted defeat since 2017. 'Funk Master' will look to defend the belt for a third time in the main event of UFC 288 this weekend, and if he wins, it would be fair to say he's the most dominant champion in UFC bantamweight history.

While Dominick Cruz's career was marred by injuries and T.J. Dillashaw's accomplishments will always carry a stain, Sterling has been a victim of just bad luck. He won the title quite unceremoniously after former champion Petr Yan was disqualified in their bout at UFC 259, and their rematch wasn't conclusive either.

In his most recent title defense, Sterling absolutely dominated an essentially one-armed Dillashaw at UFC 280 last year and hasn't really won the fans over with any of his performances. He can flip the script on Saturday night with an impressive showing against another former champion in Henry Cejudo, who hasn't lost since 2016.

There can be no asterisks if Sterling comes out on top, as it seems as though Cejudo cherry-picked 'Funk Master' for his return. This fight could turn out to be the crowning moment of Sterling's bantamweight run, paving the way for a lucrative final title defense against UFC superstar Sean O'Malley.

It's going down in New Jersey 😤

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#1. Will Henry Cejudo re-claim the title he never lost?

Henry Cejudo never misses an opportunity to list his achievements in combat sports. The polarizing former two-division champion and Olympic Gold Medallist is more known for his cringey antics outside the octagon, but his in-cage ability cannot be understated.

After winning and defending the bantamweight belt, 'Triple C' announced his retirement in 2020, vacating his titles. Three years later, he's back to re-claim what he never truly lost.

The return of Triple C THIS SATURDAY 🏆🥇🏆

@HenryCejudo is officially back in action at #UFC288!

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Henry Cejudo is among the most credentialled wrestlers to transition to MMA. He has never been taken down in his UFC career, and when it comes to striking, he has grown leaps and bounds since joining the promotional nearly a decade ago.

This upcoming title bout against Aljamain Sterling is a very tricky matchup. Taking a submission specialist like Sterling down would be ill-advised and Cejudo will be at a significant reach disadvantage in the striking exchanges. Moreover, it remains to be seen how the three-year hiatus has impacted his game.

Now 36 years old, Cejudo is eager to add to his legacy over the next year or so. He has already laid out his desired hit list, culminating in a blockbuster clash against featherweight champion and former pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski in Australia.

Henry Cejudo returns from retirement with a 3-fight hit list. 🎯

#UFC288 | Full story: bit.ly/44uGvF6 https://t.co/r9lxDxdlO3

This a massive fight, worthy of its pay-per-view main event billing, and could easily go either way. Both fighters have the same goal of winning on Saturday and earning a massive payday against Sean O'Malley before targeting featherweight gold, so stakes are high in this one.

Let's work 😤 #UFC288 https://t.co/f1FjUAcyPd