Betting: UFC 288 Instant Reaction
Kevin Iole recaps the UFC 288 PPV Card from Newark, New Jersey.
Video Transcript
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KEVIN IOLE: What is up, everybody? I am Kevin Iole. Welcome to Yahoo Sports UFC 288 In the Books. Good show. Really fun show tonight. In the main event, Aljamain Sterling, the bantamweight champion, retains his title. He defeats the Olympic gold medalist to Division champion Henry Cejudo by split decision. I had it 48-47 for Sterling who closed it even money. Two of the judges agreed with me, scoring it 48-47 for the champion.
One judge went 48-47 for Cejudo. The former champion. Who closed at -$1.20. It was a competitive fight. It was a tough fight to score. There were a lot of close friends, a lot of clinch work. But I thought it was in the clinch where Aljamain Sterling made his best work. He did a lot of good work in the clinch. And I think that was the difference in the fight. Henry Cejudo said after the fight that he's not sure he's going to keep going on.
He wants to talk to his wife. Then he's going to talk to UFC President Dana White. This may have been a one fight comeback for Triple C, who is an Olympic champion in 2008 and became only the fourth UFC fighter to hold championships in two different weight classes.
And the co-main event, Belal-- remember the name-- Muhammad, who was plus 125 and took the fight on only 16 days notice scored a very impressive victory over Gilbert Burns. Gilbert Burns got injured early in the fight when he attempted to take Muhammad down. And he fell awkwardly on his left shoulder. He really didn't use the left the rest of the fight. Burns was the favorite.
And he closed at 150, that -150. But Muhammad dominated the fight as I kind of thought he might. Muhammad boxed really well. He has great takedown defense, did not allow burns to get him down. And once Burns' his left shoulder was hurt, Muhammad went to work on the right side. And Burns wasn't able to do much with the right side either. Judges had that one 49-46, twice 50 to 45.
So it was almost a clean sweep for Belal Muhammad, who now is in the welterweight title picture. Good night a fight at UFC 288 in Newark, New Jersey. And for Yahoo Sports, I am Kevin Iole.