Matches to Make After UFC 288

UFC 288 featured a showdown between returning lineal Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight king Henry Cejudo and current ace Aljamain Sterling.

Cejudo came out of retirement, ending three years of inactivity to return at the age of 36. Prior, he had won 6 in a row that saw him go from a Top 10 flyweight contender to one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever. After stopping Wilson Reis, he decisioned future Bellator MMA bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis, and then won a razor-thin split decision over Demetrious Johnson to win the 125-pound crown, finally toppling the seemingly invincible flyweight kingpin and arguably the greatest fighter ever. Proving this was no fluke, Cejudo shocked then UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw when he went down to flyweight, knocking him out in just 32 seconds, then went up to bantamweight to become a champ-champ, stopping Marlon Moraes for the vacant crown. As if that weren't enough, Cejudo delivered a sensational second round knee knockout of one of the greatest bantamweight champs ever, Dominick Cruz, having seemingly won every big fight available at that weight.

But then along came Sterling. Riding a winning streak of 8 heading into the contest, he had won the title in controversial fashion, as reigning champion Petr Yan was disqualified in a fight he was otherwise dominating. However, Sterling proved his mettle in the rematch. Despite being a significant underdog, he fought Yan on even terms, edging out a split decision. In his second defense, he utterly decimated an injured Dillashaw, sending him into retirement.

What unfolded was a full-blooded, energetic scuffle for all 25 minutes. To the surprise of many, Sterling secured multiple takedowns against Cejudo, inflicting significant ground-and-pound each time. Cejudo had a few takedowns of his own, but Sterling got back up easily each time. The striking was close, with Sterling landing more, but Cejudo doing so more significantly. I personally had it 48-47 Sterling and so did two of the three judges, with the dissenting one having it 48-47 Cejudo.

With the pay-per-view over, here are several exciting future match-ups that can be made:

Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley

This is the fight Sterling and the UFC are hell-bent on booking. I don't see O'Malley as the rightful challenger, as Merab Dvalishvili (a teammate of Sterling) is clearly better, and O'Malley lost all three rounds to Yan in Sherdog's 2022 Robbery of the Year. However, it's the biggest match in terms of PPV buys and fan interest, so why not? It may well be exciting, since O'Malley could catch Sterling with punches while O'Malley will be highly vulnerable to the grappling.

Belal Muhammad vs. Winner of Leon Edwards-Colby Covington

Muhammad has now won an incredible 9 fights in a row, including a few top contenders, and absolutely deserves a title shot. If that were to be against Edwards, there would be a built-in storyline with their first fight ending in a no-contest due to an inadvertent eye poke. It would certainly be a highly tactical but hopefully exciting affair, as their abbreviated first encounter included Edwards dropping Muhammad with a punch. In the event that it's Covington, the latter's pro wrestling heel antics and notoriety will surely sell it. And it may well be highly exciting, as when Covington is forced to strike, the result could be an outstanding duel, as his two meetings with Usman proved.

Xiaonan Yan vs. Weili Zhang

It's not clear whether Yan or Amanda Lemos should get the next crack at the strawweight throne. Both are only riding 2 fight winning streaks. Yan lost a split decision to Marina Rodriguez last year while Lemos knocked her out. However, Lemos was submitted in the first round by Andrade last year while Yan just knocked her out in the same frame. Ultimately, Yan is the more intriguing challenger, especially since her outstanding movement and cardio will be difficult for Zhang. There will be plenty of exciting striking and considerable intrigue about the grappling, as it's been an area of vulnerability for Yan before, though she has shown improvement since then.

Movsar Evloev vs. Giga Chikadze

Evloev is 7-0 in the UFC and has never been defeated outside of it, yet is only ranked No. 10 in the UFC and has yet to face a single Top 10 foe. Why not rectify that against world-class kickboxer Giga Chikadze? This fight will tell us a lot about Evloev and if he is an elite contender worthy of a title shot. Additionally, it should be plenty entertaining, with highly crisp, technical grappling exchanges, and Evloev trying to get the takedown.