Henry Cejudo retired in 2020 on top of the world. A former double champion, “Triple C” now wants to reclaim the title he never lost from Long Island’s Aljamain Sterling.
Sterling defends the UFC bantamweight title against Cejudo at UFC 288 on May 6. The fight takes place at the Prudential Center in New Jersey and airs on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S.
A two-time NCAA Division III All-American wrestler, Sterling started his career at featherweight with Cage Fury Fighting Championship. Not long after, he moved to bantamweight, going on a run of wins against Jimmie Rivera, Pedro Munhoz, Cory Sandhagen, Petr Yan, and T.J. Dillashaw. Like Cejudo, Sterling is looking into competing in other divisions.
A featherweight return is on his mind.
“I think one, two—I think two at the most [fights left at bantamweight],” Sterling said to Inside Fighting via Bloody Elbow. “I take it a fight at a time and then go about it. Then it would be up to featherweight, see how I do with these guys over there. I mean, I do a pretty good job in the room, just getting acclimated to the weight, the strength, and making sure I can compete with those guys.”
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 288 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
A 2008 Olympic gold medalist, Cejudo proudly displays his prized possession wherever he goes. He reached greatness by beating Demetrious Johnson at UFC 227 for the flyweight title, and Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 in 2019 for the bantamweight belt. Returning for the first time in three years, Cejudo compares his return to one of the greatest basketball stars of all time.
"I'm a conqueror. MJ (Michael Jordan) did it. If there's anybody that could do it, I mean, dude won three championships, took a year off, and came back and won three straight. Stories like that are inspiring to me, but they're also motivators because I know everybody individually is different,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel via The Basketball Network.
How much have the two fighters made in their career? What can we expect Cejudo to make following a few years away from the sport? Here’s a breakdown of Sterling and Cejudo’s salaries over the years, which could indicate how much they couldd earn at UFC 288.
Aljamain Sterling vs.Henry Cejudo fight purse, prize money
The official UFC 288 purse is not available. Previous payouts for Sterling and Cejudo could help provide some insight into how much they will earn.
Per The Sports Daily, in his UFC debut in 2014, Sterling took home $16,000. He earned his first big payday in 2019 against Jimmie Rivera when he took home $150,000. Against Cory Sandhagen in 2020, Sterling took home $212,000. When he beat Petr Yan for the UFC bantamweight title, he took home $230,000.
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Sterling revealed that he earned about $400,000 at UFC 273 when he defended the title against Yan in a rematch. Per Total Sportal, Sterling took home about $670K following his fight against T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280.
Per The Sports Daily, Cejudo made about $30,000 in his UFC debut against Dustin Kamara in 2014. When he lost to Demetrious Johnson in 2016, he made about $90,000, and after beating him in 2018, Cejudo earned $180,000. Cejudo made $440,000 for defeating Dillashaw, and he made the same when he decimated Marlon Moraes for the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 238.
In his last fight, a TKO win against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249, Cejudo took home $390,000.
What is Aljamain Sterling's net worth?
Per Essentially Sports, Sterling has a net worth of about $1 million.
Comparing Sterling to other title holders, Israel Adesanya has a net worth of about $4 million.
Amanda Nunes also has a net worth of $4 million, while Jon Jones has a net worth of $3 million.
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What is Henry Cejudo’s net worth?
Per Celebrity Net Worth, Cejudo has a net worth of about $2 million.
When is UFC 288: Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo?
- Date: Saturday, May 6 | Sunday, May 7
- FIGHT PASS Prelims: 6 p.m. ET | 11 p.m. BST | 8 a.m. AEST
- Prelims: 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. BST | 10 a.m. AEST
- Main card: 10 p.m. ET | 3 a.m. BST | 12 p.m. AEST
- Main event: 12:15 a.m. ET | 5:15 a.m. BST | 2:15 p.m. AEST (approx.)
UFC 288 takes place on May 6. The early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET | 11 p.m. BST | 8 a.m. AEST, followed by the prelims at 8 p.m. ET | 1 a.m. BST | 10 a.m. AEST. The UFC 288 main card will begin at 10 p.m. ET | 3 a.m. BST | 12 p.m. AEST.
Sterling and Cejudo should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET | 5:15 a.m. BST | 2:15 p.m. AEST, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch UFC 288: Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. May 6 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Sat. May 6 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sun. May 7 | BT Sport |
| Australia | Sun. May 7 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
The main card for UFC 288 is available in the U.S. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN+.
In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass
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In the United Kingdom, the main card will be available on BT Sport, with the prelims available on UFC Fight Pass.
In Australia, the main card will be on Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo PPV price: How much does UFC 288 cost?
- $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $124.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 288 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 288 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $124.98 for the UFC 288 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 288 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $12.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $79.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $124.98, then $99.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle | $79.99, then $12.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
UFC 288 fight card
Main card
- Aljamain Sterling (c) vs. Henry Cejudo for the UFC bantamweight title
- Belal Muhammad vs. Gilbert Burns; Welterweights
- Jessica Andrade vs. Yan Xiaonan; Strawweights
- Diego Lopes vs. Movsar Evloev; Featherweights
- Kron Gracie vs. Charles Jourdain; Featherweights
Prelims
- Drew Dober vs. Matt Frevola; Lightweights
- Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Devin Clark; Light Heavyweights
- Khaos Williams vs. Rolando Bedoya; Welterweights
- Marina Rodriguez vs. Virna Jandiroba; Strawweights
FIGHT PASS Prelims
- Braxton Smith vs. Parker Porter; Heavyweights
- Phil Hawes vs. Ikram Aliskerov; Middleweights
- Joseph Holmes vs. Claudio Ribiero; Middleweights
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