GDT: UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo/ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes 3

[MMC]

Date: May 6, 2023
Venue: Prudential Center
City: Newark, New Jersey
Time: 10 pm ET/7 pm PT
Viewing: PPV

MAIN CARD (PPV)

Bantamweight Championship bout: Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo
Welterweight bout: Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns
Women's Strawweight bout: Jessica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan
Featherweight bout: Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes
Featherweight bout: Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, TSN5)

Lightweight bout: Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola
Light Heavyweight bout: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Devin Clark
Welterweight bout: Khaos Williams vs. Rolando Bedoya
Women's Strawweight bout: Marina Rodriguez vs. Virna Jandiroba

EARLY PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass)

Heavyweight bout: Braxton Smith vs. Parker Porter
Middleweight bout: Phil Hawes vs. Ikram Aliskerov
Middleweight bout: Joseph Holmes vs. Claudio Ribeiro​

Click to read more...

 

[MMC]

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Even though this card has taken some hits I'm pumped up for this now that it's fight week. I will be in my seat ready to go for the first early prelims gonna be a long fun night.

 

[pistolpete11]

It's a solid-to-good card depending on how you feel about Aljo-Cejudo being a PPV headliner. Personally, I don't like Cejudo getting the shot, but now that we are here, I'm pumped for it.

Sterling-Cejudo - I think Cejudo is a better fighter, but the size difference is too much to ignore. Sterling is a big BW and Cejudo obviously used to fight at FLW. Cejudo's power carried against Moraes and Cruz, though. I really don't know which is why I'm pumped for the fight.

Burns-Belal - I think it's Burns by KO or Belal by decision. I think the grappling is going to cancel out and we'll be left with a kickboxing match. I think Belal is the better striker, but Burns has the power advantage. I really don't know which is why I'm pumped for the fight.

Andrade-Yan - Kind of a 'meh' fight. I think Andrade bullies her.

Mitchel-Evloev - On paper, they seem to be pretty even. Was kind of surprised to see Evloev is the biggest favorite on the main card.

Gracie-Jourdain - I was also surprised to see Jourdain as big of a favorite as he is, too. He is 4-4-1 in the UFC and his TDD is 48%. Gracie did get audited pretty good by Cub, but even washed Cub's a lot better than Jourdain. Not necessarily picking Gracie, the nearly 4 year layoff is also worth noting, I just didn't expect the odds to be as wide as they are.

Prelims are pretty solid too. Rodriguez getting absolutely buried, though. Put that fight as a co-main on one of these shitty Fight Nights instead.

 

[MMC]

 

[m9]

This main card just isn't doing it for me.

I don't really care too much about Cejudo/Sterling. I wish that Cejudo had another fight first so I could get a bit more hyped for him in a title fight, but that didn't happen so while this is a fine fight it's not getting getting me excited.

Belal/Burns is great. Andrade is always a great watch, but Yan isn't a very exciting opponent. Evloev/Mitchell is a solid fight.

No idea where Kron Gracie is at. He's barely even an MMA fighter - before beating Cacares he choked out a couple of cans & a couple of 40 year olds in Japan half a decade ago. Who knows how many of those were legit fights. Jourdain has been active and fighting tough competition so he would be my pick.. but if Gracie took him down and subbed him, obviously that shouldn't surprise anyone.

Prelim card is fun. Dober/Frevola has FOTN written all over it. Bedoya looks like a can-crusher and Khaos is a tough out for anyone.

Rodriguez v Jandiroba is a good fight, though it might end up rather boring. Completely buried but Jandiroba given a nice opportunity here.

Really buried but keep an eye on: Hawes v Aliskerov. Aliskerov could be a legit future top guy - only loss is to Chimaev. Hawes is a good test though.

 

[MMC]

This main card just isn't doing it for me.

I don't really care too much about Cejudo/Sterling. I wish that Cejudo had another fight first so I could get a bit more hyped for him in a title fight, but that didn't happen so while this is a fine fight it's not getting getting me excited.

Belal/Burns is great. Andrade is always a great watch, but Yan isn't a very exciting opponent. Evloev/Mitchell is a solid fight.

No idea where Kron Gracie is at. He's barely even an MMA fighter - before beating Cacares he choked out a couple of cans & a couple of 40 year olds in Japan half a decade ago. Who knows how many of those were legit fights. Jourdain has been active and fighting tough competition so he would be my pick.. but if Gracie took him down and subbed him, obviously that shouldn't surprise anyone.

Prelim card is fun. Dober/Frevola has FOTN written all over it. Bedoya looks like a can-crusher and Khaos is a tough out for anyone.

Rodriguez v Jandiroba is a good fight, though it might end up rather boring. Completely buried but Jandiroba given a nice opportunity here.

Really buried but keep an eye on: Hawes v Aliskerov. Aliskerov could be a legit future top guy - only loss is to Chimaev. Hawes is a good test though.

Yep, easily the weakest of the PPVs this year to me for sure. At least it's a great ONE card on Friday

 

[CDJ]

I’m buying that rizin PPV and watching at 3 AM

Idrc about Yan-Andrade but the other 4 fights on the main card I am intrigued by- wouldn’t use the word “excited” though. PPV buys will probably reflect that

 

[m9]

Yep, easily the weakest of the PPVs this year to me for sure. At least it's a great ONE card on Friday

I’m buying that rizin PPV and watching at 3 AM

Idrc about Yan-Andrade but the other 4 fights on the main card I am intrigued by- wouldn’t use the word “excited” though. PPV buys will probably reflect that

Usually they have multiple title fights when they have these lower-weight class fights, I think that's why this card feels pretty light to me.

Also Sterling's title run has been so underwhelming. Split decision over Yan, and two wins on paper only over Dillashaw & Yan.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Damn it I wanted to see Mitchell fight

 

[m9]

Now Bryce Mitchell is out and they've tagged in a Brazilian can-crusher to be a sacrificial lamb for Evloev.

Wonder if they redo the bout order. I would usually guess on Jandiroba/Rodriguez getting slotted up but I'm not sure they want to do back-to-back WMMA fights on a PPV that already looks a bit questionable.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Now Bryce Mitchell is out and they've tagged in a Brazilian can-crusher to be a sacrificial lamb for Evloev.

Wonder if they redo the bout order. I would usually guess on Jandiroba/Rodriguez getting slotted up but I'm not sure they want to do back-to-back WMMA fights on a PPV that already looks a bit questionable.

They might bring Frevola vs Dober up they did that before they replaced the oliviera/dariush fight.

 

[m9]

They might bring Frevola vs Dober up they did that before they replaced the oliviera/dariush fight.

It would be a better fit but they almost never bump up the prelim co-main as they've already pushed that fight for advertising as a "free" fight so it's usually a different swap. They also like having an exciting fight to end the prelims as they think it creates buzz for the PPV and gets some buys.

My guess is they slide Clark/Nzechukwu up, move Evloev to the prelim co-main.

 

[MMC]

Damn it I wanted to see Mitchell fight

Can't say this is shocking after seeing this

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Dennis Buzuka saying they called him as a last minute replacement for Mitchell but Evloev turned it down for Lopes...

 

[Sheppy]

I had no idea Cejudo was back?

Was this marketed? Haha. Maybe it’s the fact that there’s 95 UFC cards a week that I can’t keep track on what’s happening.

 

[16Skippy]

I had no idea Cejudo was back?

Was this marketed? Haha. Maybe it’s the fact that there’s 95 UFC cards a week that I can’t keep track on what’s happening.

I don't blame you lol. It's pretty sus to give a retired guy a title shot in a division this deep.

Like it should be a great fight but you just know if Cejudo wins he's going to call out Volk and tie up both divisions even more.

 

[MMC]

XMMA is back tomorrow free on Youtube, fun scraps with former UFC/Bellator guys. I'll post the link here once it's on their channel, some guys fighting are Saidyokub Kahkramanov, Ricky Bandejas, Mandel Nallo, unfortunately that Burrell fight is off

 

[pistolpete11]

Losing Mitchell-Evloev is a hit to the card, for sure.

Any word yet on what fight will replace it on the main card?

 

[MMC]

Losing Mitchell-Evloev is a hit to the card, for sure.

Any word yet on what fight will replace it on the main card?

Guessing it's staying on the main card since they announced both Evloev and Lopes would be at the press conference tomorrow

 

[MMC]

XMMA is back tomorrow free on Youtube, fun scraps with former UFC/Bellator guys. I'll post the link here once it's on their channel, some guys fighting are Saidyokub Kahkramanov, Ricky Bandejas, Mandel Nallo, unfortunately that Burrell fight is off

 

[MMC]

 

[MMC]

 

[MMC]

 

[MMC]