Official poster unveiled for UFC 288
The official poster for UFC 288 was recently released as the promotion prepares to generate interest and continue building anticipation for their next pay-per-view. The event is scheduled to take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on May 6.
The event is headlined by the bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo, who will make his long awaited return to the octagon after a three-year layoff. The event will also feature a highly anticipated lightweight clash between Beneil Dariush and former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, with the winner likely receiving the next title shot against Islam Makhachev.
Official Poster #UFC288 (Vertical, Landscape & IG) https://t.co/PtsMhuXKzz
The promotion has three separate posters, which include a vertical poster, landscape, and Instagram size poster. The vertical poster is split into three grids, with Sterling on the top grid, the former two-division UFC champion pointing in the middle grid, and Dariush and Oliveira face-to-face in the bottom grid.
The landscape poster features the main event bantamweight title fight in the top-left, while the lightweight co-main event competitors face off in the bottom-right. The Instagram poster is similar as the bantamweights in the top half, looking straight ahead and the lightweights are face-to-face in the bottom half.
Chael Sonnen claims Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa is in the works for UFC Abu Dhabi
Chael Sonnen has a knack for generating discussion in the MMA community and didn't disappoint during his most recent appearance on The MMA Hour as he claimed a middleweight clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa is in the works for the UFC's return to Abu Dhabi.
While speaking to Ariel Helwani, Sonnen mentioned that he heard that there are plans for Chimaev vs. Costa at the event as well as the placement on the card, saying:
"So, my understanding is Khamzat is going to fight Paulo Costa. They've even got a date, they're gonna go out...Abu Dhabi. That's a co-main event - very relevant - they'll be there for three rounds instead of five." [2:44:10 - 2:44:21]
It remains to be seen whether or not that fight is the plan or if the promotion have other ideas for both in the middleweight division.