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In the main event of UFC 288 on Saturday, Aljamain Sterling made Henry Cejudo’s return to the ring an unhappy one, retaining the bantamweight title against the former champion. Sterling won a split decision against Cejudo, who was competing for the first time in three years, before facing off with rising star Sean O’Malley in the Octagon. In a welterweight co-main event, Belal Muhammad outpointed an injured Gilbert Burns, who was battling a shoulder issue, and earlier in the night, Yan Xiaonan scored a TKO win over ex-strawweight champion Jessica Andrade. Below, The Independent plays matchmaker for the protagonists of UFC 288. Aljamain Sterling vs Sean O’Malley This one takes care of itself, after Sterling and O’Malley faced off in the ring at the conclusion of UFC 288. O’Malley, who snatched a controversial decision win over former champion Petr Yan last time out, was expected to be next for Sterling anyway, and Saturday’s face-off only confirmed the UFC’s plan. The only other viable contender right now is Merab Dvalishvili (more on him shortly), but he is a teammate and good friend of Sterling, and the pair have vowed never to fight one another. Sterling’s profile does not yet match his impressive, grappling-centric skill set, but it would be boosted significantly if he were to clash with O’Malley – a slick striker and one of the fastest-rising stars in the UFC. Henry Cejudo vs Merab Dvalishvili Cejudo admitted after losing to Sterling that he did not know what would be next for him. His defeat put to bed machinations of reclaiming the bantamweight belt, which he vacated in 2020 after relinquishing the flyweight title, and moving up to featherweight to challenge for gold there. However, the Olympic gold-medalist wrestler quickly decided that he will not make a rapid return to retirement; the American took to Twitter to call out Dvalishvili, who keenly accepted the challenge. Cejudo expressed a desire to face the Georgian, who has won nine straight fights dating back to late 2018, in August, which would mark a quick turnaround. That might be just what Cejudo needs, however, to shed the little ring rust that he exhibited at UFC 288. Belal Muhammad vs Leon Edwards / Colby Covington Saturday’s bout between Muhammad and Gilbert Burns was billed as a No 1 contender’s fight at 170lbs, and the UFC should follow through with that. While champion Edwards is expected to face pantomime villain Colby Covington later this year, Muhammad should fight the winner of that contest – or even challenge Edwards in the near future, if the Covington fight is stalling. Muhammad has history with Edwards, having fought the Briton to a No Contest in 2021, when Edwards accidentally poked the Amerian in the eye. With the exception of that strange bout, Muhammad has won nine fights in a row since late 2019 and is fully deserving of a shot at gold. Most fans have not yet taken to the 34-year-old, but he has an unappreciated charisma, and he is improving quickly enough to suggest that he could find a way past Covington or put on a better showing against Edwards than he did in their first meeting. Yan Xianoan vs Zhang Weili Yan looked a step ahead of a reckless Jessica Andrade in every phase of their fight on Saturday, leading to a TKO win inside two-and-a-half minutes. It was just a second straight win for the Chinese fighter, who suffered back-to-back losses prior to her current streak, but Yan had won 13 fights in a row before that. Furthermore, her victory over former champion Andrade saw her shoot up from sixth to third in the strawweight rankings, and the fighters ahead of her are not due a title shot right now. A clash between Yan and compatriot Zhang, who holds the belt, would be huge for the UFC’s Chinese audience. Such a bout should take place next, and it should take place in China. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Aljamain Sterling retains title against returning Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 UFC's Tony Ferguson arrested following Hollywood crash UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year UFC’s Tony Ferguson arrested following Hollywood crash Aljamain Sterling retains title against returning Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 UFC 288 LIVE: Cejudo vs Sterling updates and results

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Phil Jones will look back fondly on 12 years at Manchester United despite admitting to “difficult days” in his battle with injuries after it was announced he will be leaving the club in the summer. The 31-year-old will depart Old Trafford at the end of his contract, having been blighted by injuries for much of his stay. The defender, who joined from Blackburn in 2011, played 229 times, scoring six goals for United and helping them win one Premier League title, an FA Cup and the Europa League. Jones, who is yet to decide whether he will carry on playing, said in an open letter on Twitter: “It’s always tough to leave a club. I did so already with Blackburn Rovers, all those years ago aged only 19, but I could never imagine what was to follow. “My time at United has been nothing short of incredible. “It’s not a time to be sad. It’s a time to look back, for me and my family, and be happy that I managed to live a dream at United. “I can always say to my family and friends that not many people get to play for this club, to always be in its history and to be able to look back with such happy memories. I lived a dream at the biggest club in the world. I played for England in major tournaments. At United, I won trophies, most notably the Premier League under Sir Alex, in his final season Phil Jones “I wish Erik (ten Hag) and his staff, and all the players, the best of luck for the future. He’s building something here and I’ll be watching, supporting, and hoping, more than anyone, that he can continue the progress we can all see already. “I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me at Manchester United, where I’ve made friends for life. “But, most of all, my family, who stuck by me through everything. The biggest one to my wife and two beautiful girls. I cannot put into words the support you’ve given me. We’ve stuck together and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.” Jones has not played in over a year and managed only 13 appearances since the start of the 2019/20 season and has revealed the turmoil injuries played on him. “I wish I could have played more. I wish I could have given more to the many squads I played alongside,” he added. “I will say, from the bottom of my heart, I did everything I could. I did everything the medical team asked of me. “I never left a stone unturned in the pursuit of living my dream and having the opportunity to represent Manchester United on the pitch. I spent some difficult days away from my family, rehabilitating and recovering away from everyone, recuperating away from the training pitch, which I was desperate to get back to. “I’ve said before that I found it hard to even speak to my team-mates because I was hurt that I couldn’t help them. I was hurt that my family couldn’t see me on matchdays, and you feel like you’re letting people down. “Sometimes, in life, things happen that we don’t like, but we have to learn to accept it and be at peace in our minds that we did everything we could to overcome the challenges. In your career, and life, that’s all we can really do. “I lived a dream at the biggest club in the world. I played for England in major tournaments. At United, I won trophies, most notably the Premier League under Sir Alex, in his final season.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sean Dyche: The only table that matters is the one at the end of the season Julen Lopetegui thrilled with Wolves progress since his first clash with Everton Sam Allardyce urges ‘police to do a lot more’ about social media abuse

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