UFC 288 takes place this weekend and it's an interesting pay-per-view event to say the least. In the main event, we have a very unique matchup between Aljamain Sterling and the returning Henry Cejudo given their styles and background. The stylistic matchup will also a big factor in the co-main event where Belal Muhammad will take on Gilbert Burns in a five-round welterweight title eliminator. Cejudo isn't the only one returning either — Kron Gracie will return to action for the first time since 2019 when he faces Charles Jourdain in a featherweight clash.
With all that said, here are five of the biggest questions leading up to UFC 288.
1. Will ring rust and age affect Henry Cejudo at UFC 288?
Cejudo is definitely a pound-for-pound talent and one of the best athletes the UFC has ever seen. After all, did you know he has a gold medal? But with that said, Father Time gets the best of everyone and Cejudo turned 36 earlier this year. Although it's not a rule that's set in stone, it's no coincidence that fighters, particularly in the lower weight divisions, don't fare all too well in title fights when they're above the age of 35 — and especially against younger opponents. It's only natural if Cejudo is not as quick as he was three years ago and shows some signs of slowing down.
Age aside, there's also the ring rust factor. While Cejudo has been training the last year and coaching for even longer, there's still a massive difference between sparring and the actual fight itself. This was something Jon Jones mentioned as well though he ended up winning relatively quickly in his first fight in three years. It will be interesting to see if Cejudo can emulate him.
2. What will Aljamain Sterling's game plan be against Henry Cejudo?
Given his last few fights, it's natural to think of Aljamain Sterling as a dominant wrestler as that is his primary style of fighting. However, he has also improved his striking leaps and bounds and prior to winning the bantamweight title, relied on his unorthodox style of striking combined with volume and an intense pace to edge out his opponents. So the question is, will he go back to this striking style against Cejudo or continue his game plan of wrestling against an Olympic gold medal winning wrestler?
Sterling is long and rangy and will notably have a massive 7” reach advantage over Cejudo — the largest reach disadvantage Cejudo has had thus far. Cejudo has also struggled with leg kicks in the past so it wouldn't be the worst strategy to use. Or is Sterling confident enough in his wrestling that he will try to get the Cejudo down and take his back? UFC 288 is in just a few days and we will find out soon.
3. Is Gilbert Burns being too active?
It's May and Gilbert Burns is doing his best Cowboy Cerrone impression by already competing in his third fight. “Durinho” submitted Neil Magny in January before outpointing Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287 last month. He will now look to make it three wins in a row against Belal Muhammad at UFC 288 just a month after his last fight. In this sport, it's always best to compete as much as possible during your prime as the window is only so long.
But at the same time, there is a risk of overtraining and being too active. Burns is now in his third training camp of the year with very little downtime overall and more risk of injuries. This will be the second time he's cutting weight in a month. This fight is also on short notice as the typical training camp is usually six to eight weeks at the least. It's much more doable in your twenties and when you're fighting unranked fighters, but Burns turns 37 in a few months and is only facing the very best at 170 pounds. Hopefully, it's a risk that pays dividends and Burns ends up receiving a title shot next.
4. Will Belal Muhammad wrestle Gilbert Burns?
Belal Muhammad is a bit of an all-rounder as he has shown he can strike, grapple and wrestle. But he usually tends to wrestle his opponents and/or grind them out on his way to a decision win. It's not the most exciting style, but it's helped him greatly in his nine-fight unbeaten streak. The question is if he will do it against Burns. Usually, we see wrestlers keep the fight standing against jiu-jitsu threats by using their takedown defense.
One would imagine Muhammad would prefer to keep the fight standing against Burns as well as the latter is a third-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu and even Khamzat Chimaev preferred not to remain on the ground with him. However, unlike other jiu-jitsu specialists, Burns is more than adept when it comes to striking and carries knockout power in his fists as well. Despite his TKO win over Sean Brady, Muhammad is not known for being a finisher or having knockout power. And so, will he risk getting knocked out by keeping the fight a striking battle or will he take the fight to the ground and put a jiu-jitsu specialist on their back? It's what makes this fight extremely intriguing.
5. How will Kron Gracie look at UFC 288?
As aforementioned, Cejudo is not the only one returning to action. Kron Gracie will be competing for the first time since his unanimous decision defeat to Cub Swanson back in October 2019. That's a layoff of nearly four years and his comeback opponent is Charles Jourdain — a young and exciting all-action featherweight. Essentially, this is not a layup of any sort.
While he has been constantly training since his last fight, one wonders how the layoff will affect the 34-year-old Gracie — especially as unlike Cejudo, he has only competed in MMA six times in total.
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