The New Jersey Devils are still calling the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, home as they continue their playoff run, but on Saturday, the UFC owns the building.
UFC 288 will occur from the Prudential Center, and the main card is stacked. The fights will begin at 6 p.m. ET with the early prelims. The late undercard will start two hours later, and the main set of matches will begin at 10 p.m. ET.
You can bet any of the fights at the best online sportsbooks, but the biggest draw and most betting markets revolve around the main card, highlighted by Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudu for the bantamweight (135 pounds) world title.
Let’s take a look at the main card. Odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change.
Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain
- Spread: Gracie +3.5 (-110) | Jourdain -3.5 (-120)
- Total Rounds: Over 2.5 (+150) | Under 2.5 (-185)
- Moneyline: Gracie +150 | Jourdain -175
Kron Gracie will look to upset Charles Jourdain in the first match of the main card. Gracie is +150 to win, and he has been solid in his professional career. The fighter is 5-1 over his MMA tenure, and he can easily lock opponents into submissions by constant movement. Offensive wrestling isn’t one of his strong suits, but relentless effort can win matches in the UFC.
Joursain is -175, and he enters this fight with a 13-6-1 record. Jourdain is just 27 years old, but he has been in many high-leverage fights. Jourdain needs to learn how to control his aggression in the octagon because his natural power has put him in losing predicaments. However, the longer this fight goes, the better chance Jourdain has to win with physicality.
If Jourdain stays out of bad situations, he should win. Gracie’s primary chance of prevailing is by grappling, and this won’t be easy against the younger Jourdain. We’re going to play the over 2.5 rounds for +150 as we like this fight to go the distance. Gracie is savvy enough to keep the fight moving, and Jourdain could be slightly hesitant after back-to-back losses.
However, anything can happen in MMA, so bet with caution.
Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes
- Spread: N/A
- Total Rounds: Over 2.5 (-115) | Under 2.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: Evloev -850 | Lopes +600
Movsar Evloev has been nothing short of spectacular in his professional fighting career. He is 16-0 in the octagon, with five victories in the UFC. He is a heavy favorite at -850 against Diego Lopes. Lopes is no scrub at 21-5, but he is still listed at +600.
Evloev hasn’t faced any top-tier fighters in the featherweight division, but anyone can lose in the UFC. It’s impressive to be favored and win 100% of the time. Even though Evloev hasn’t faced a noteworthy opponent, his wrestling skills are tough to match. He averaged over 4.8 takedowns landed per 15 minutes in the octagon. This is going to make Lopes’ life difficult.
Lopes is stepping into this fight on short notice after Bryce Mitchell was declared unavailable. Lopes could surprise some people in this match if he’s in shape. He’s a more balanced fighter than Evloev and has been impressive in some fights. It’s not worth playing Evoloev’s moneyline price at -850, so we’re going to take this fight to go the distance. We like the undefeated Russian to win, but Lopes will be better than oddsmakers expect.
Jesscia Andrade vs. Xiaonan Yan
- Spread: Andrade -3.5 (+100) | Yan +3.5 (-130)
- Total Rounds: Over 2.5 (-175) | Under 2.5 (+140)
- Moneyline: Andrade -190 | Yan +160
Jessica Andrade is one of the women who made the female divisions in the UFC what they are today. She enters UFC 288 as a -190 favorite against Xiaonan Yan (+160). Andrade has had some bad losses in her career, but she has boomed many times. One of her most notable wins came over Rose Namajunas at UFC 237, but she then lost in the rematch at UFC 251.
Andrade is powerful, but she is easy to read. Her combinations don’t confuse opponents, and it causes her effectiveness to decline as matches develop. Yan can strike from a distance, the perfect way to beat Andrade. She needs to attack from a tighter distance and move accordingly. Yan can pick her apart in an area that isn’t in Andrade’s ideal fighting zone.
If Andrade gets into Yan, she can finish her on the ground via strikes. However, we’re going to count on Yan to stay upright, be strategic with her strikes, and win this match by decision.
Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns
- Spread: Muhammad +5.5 (-160) | Burns -5.5 (+120)
- Total Rounds: Over 4.5 (-130) | Under 4.5 (+100)
- Moneyline: Muhammad +105 | Burns -125
Belal Muhammad is 22-3 over his MMA career and riding a nine-fight UFC winning streak heading into his matchup with Gilbert Burns. Burns has posted a similar record to Muhammad over his career at 22-5, and each fighter is in their mid-thirties. Their styles should make for an excellent fight, and there is no clear advantage on either side.
Burns’ last win came against Jorge Masvidal in April. Masvidal is a bigger name than his competitor here, and it was concerning that Burns didn’t find a way to finish off the veteran. He dominated most of the fight, but the cardio wasn’t exceptional. He can get away with this against a fighter like Masvidal, but poor cardio won’t cut it against Muhammad.
Muhammad has all the advantages in this fight. He is a similar grappler to Burns, but he is rested coming into UFC 288. The same cannot be said about Burns, who fought less than a month ago. Muhammad is better in tight space, and he also has an elite takedown defense. He can allow Burns to get in close to set up the offense because of his skill on defense. Take the short underdog Muhammad in the co-main event.
Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo
- Spread: Sterling -5.5 (+165) | Cejudo +5.5 (-225)
- Total Rounds: Over 4.5 (-150) | Under 4.5 (+120)
- Moneyline: Sterling -105 | Cejudo -115
There is a lot of excitement around the UFC 288 main event, and this is for good reason. Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo haven’t been beaten much in their careers, and these are the most exciting types of fighters when stacked head-to-head. Sterling is 22-3 and on an eight-fight winning streak. His most recent win came against T.J Dillashaw, where he retained his bantamweight title for the second time. Yet, Sterling’s recent wins haven’t been well respected, and that’s why the champ is just a slight favorite against Cejudo.
Cejudo doesn’t have a striking advantage in this fight, but he might be able to out-wrestle Sterling. He can scrap from a standing position, but this isn’t where his skill set lies. He wants to be in close proximity to his opponent, wearing them out over the course of the match.
Cejudo is the better overall fighter, even though he isn’t walking to the ring with the belt. Look for him to use his leg kicks with his takedown combinations in this matchup. We like this fight to go the distance, but the odds are better for Cejudo on the moneyline.
