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Significant Stats | UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo
Get A Closer Look At The Metrics Behind Some Of UFC 288's Biggest Matchups.
(All stats according to UFC’s Record Book and Fight Metric as of May 3, 2023, and only include active athletes in their respective division unless noted otherwise)
Key Stats: 1:04:36 control time (1st all-time among BW), 45:15 top position time (3rd all-time among BW), +2.45 striking differential (3rd all-time among BW)
UFC 288 Fight By Fight Preview
What It Means: The bantamweight champ is a high-paced, swarming presence in the Octagon, in part because of his massive frame for 135 pounds and also because of his suffocating grappling style. He’s not so much a marauding wrestler more than he is a feisty MMA grappler with a high intelligence in how he goes about things. On the feet, Sterling likes to throw low kicks and long punches that flow into takedowns. Sterling is really adept at catching any sort of kick and turning it into a takedown or, at the very least, a scramble in which he ends up in dominant position. If he gets on someone’s back, he is excellent at maintaining control while threatening a wide variety of submissions.
Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo: 'It's A Challenge Within Me' | UFC 288
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Henry Cejudo: 'It's A Challenge Within Me' | UFC 288
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Key Stats: 0.15% bottom percentage (4th all-time), 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes, 93% takedown defense
How To Watch UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo In Your Country
What It Means: Cejudo is a high-level competitor with a tremendous Fight IQ that shows itself off in the way he adjusts throughout the course of a fight. That, paired with his grit and skill level, paved the way for his decorated career. His Olympic wrestling pedigree is well-documented, but his ability to dart in and out of range and pull opponents into punches and knees is deft. Often, Cejudo likes to bomb in with low kicks and body kicks, and he likes to throw heavy in the pocket.
What to Look For in the Fight: Because of Cejudo’s preference to kick often and Sterling’s ability to catch kicks and turn them into takedowns, how Cejudo initiates his offense is something to watch. Cejudo is likely a bit faster, but Sterling’s length, strength and scrambling ability is key, as well. Sterling likes to chop at his opponent’s legs, which could help mitigate Cejudo’s lateral movement. If and when the two grapple, you’ll see two different end-goals at hand. Cejudo usually likes to control his opponent and dish out some ground-and-pound while Sterling mindfully likes to work toward a submission.
Co-Main Event: Belal Muhammad vs Gilbert Burns
Belal Muhammad
Key Stats: 1.68% bottom position percentage (9th all-time among WW), 24.6% control time percentage (10th), 2.19 takedowns averaged per 15 minutes
What It Means: Muhammad is an exhausting fighter. He stays in his opponent’s face, peppers them with straight punches and shoots for takedowns constantly but not desperately. Muhammad’s striking has improved, and while he keeps it simple, his range and timing stands out in contrast with the way he mixes in the grappling.
Gilbert Burns
Gilbert Burns | Greatest Hits
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Gilbert Burns | Greatest Hits
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Key Stats: 27.4% control time percentage (9th), 3.38 strikes landed per minute, 2.16 takedowns averaged per 15 minutes
What It Means: Burns is a powerhouse. Everything he throws is with bad intentions, and his sweeping hooks are particularly punishing. He has shown a good ability to mix a takedown in from strikes, as well. On the ground, he is an absolute savage. He is also the type of fighter who, when in trouble, throws even harder and more dangerously in order to stave off pressure.
What to Look For in the Fight: Given that these two are both strong and willing grapplers, it kind of feels like one of those fights where they’ll just decide to stand and bang to start. Burns has the power, but Muhammad’s pace is a real weapon that can keep Burns on the back foot. The scrambles in this one should be fun, as well. Burns is the bigger submission threat, but that’s not to say Muhammad won’t welcome the ground game as well.
Other Fights to Watch (Jessica Andrade vs Yan Xiaonan, Marina Rodriguez vs Virna Jandiroba)
Jessica Andrade
Key Stats: 6.7 strikes landed per minute (1st all-time among WSW), 53.5% takedown accuracy (4th all-time among WSW), 3 KO/TKO wins (tied 1st all-time among WSW)
What It Means: Andrade is an impressively powerful fighter and might be the most powerful fighter in the women’s divisions, pound-for-pound. Her hands are fast, and she loves walking down her opponent and starting a bit of a dogfight. Andrade’s wrestling is explosive and impactful, and she is just as willing to grind down her opponent.
Yan Xiaonan
Jessica Andrade vs Xiaonan Yan Preview | UFC 288
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Jessica Andrade vs Xiaonan Yan Preview | UFC 288
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Key Stats: +1.92 striking differential (4th all-time among WSW), 5.45 strikes landed per minute (6th all-time among WSW), 61.8% significant strike defense (7th all-time among WSW)
What It Means: Yan is very light on her feet, darting in and out of range with her Sanda-based striking. She’ll mitigate the danger in which she puts herself while staying steady with her long-range attacks. Her kicks are lightning fast, and she’ll pick her moments in which she unloads a flurry of strikes.
What to Look For in the Fight: Andrade will likely be the one pursuing Yan, as the latter skirts around the Octagon and tries to pull Andrade into something utilizing her footwork. Andrade could have a less-resistant path to victory in the form of wrestling, and that could at least slow down Yan.
Marina Rodriguez
Key Stats: Rodriguez is a skillful striker with good knockout power for the division. Her hands are fast, and she is good about getting into clinches where she can unleash knees and elbows. From distance, she has a clean jab and cross, and she invests in leg kicks, as well. She is best when taking the center of the Octagon and pressing forward.
What It Means: 0.23 knockdowns per 15 minutes (7th all-time among WSW), +1.64 striking differential (tied 7th all-time among WSW), 2.97 strikes absorbed per minute (10th all-time among WSW)
Virna Jandiroba
Key Stats: 38.7% takedown accuracy (9th all-time among WSW), 1.15 submissions averaged per 15 minutes (7th all-time among WSW), 24.5% top position percentage (5th all-time among WSW)
What It Means: Jandiroba is an ultra-slick jiu jitsu player who possesses decent wrestling to get the fight down to her bread-and-butter. On the feet, she is flat-footed but throws without fear of going to the ground, so she presents plenty of danger there. Her hands are heavy, and she’ll mix in the occasional body kick as well.
What to Look For in the Fight: This is a striker-vs-grappler matchup to the tee, and one of many Rodriguez has been in over the last few years. She has shown a good ability to use her length and long-range tools to thwart grappling attempts, but she still needs to respect Jandiroba’s submission game, which can be tricky in all spots. Watch for how Jandiroba closes the distance or if Rodriguez can utilize her footwork to maintain range and still command the pace and real estate within the Octagon
UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo took place live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on May 6, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass
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