Category: Sports

New Zealand won by 9 wickets (82 balls left)

New Zealand Won ODI World Cup 1st Match against England

New Zealand cricket team 1st ODI World Cup 2023 match against England by 9 wickets, Ravindra and Conway both player makes century and makes 273 runs partnership.

Chasing is an art and the pair of Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway have just handed a masterclass in the same. When England were restricted to 282 runs, it felt like it might be a tricky chase and when Will Young got out for a golden duck, New Zealand must have had a few nerves.

New Zealand vs England Match Summary:

England: · 282/9 (50)
Joe Root 77 (86) | Matt Henry 3/48 (10)
Jos Buttler 43 (42) | Glenn Phillips 2/17 (3)

New Zealand: · 283/1 (36.2)
Devon Conway 152* (121) | Sam Curran 1/47 (6)
Rachin Ravindra 123* (96) | Liam Livingstone 0/24 (3)

But that is where a young guy like Ravindra can help you, absolutely no fear and he took on the English pacers from the word go. Conway too was on the move early on and given just a few months back he raked up runs for fun in the Indian T20 League, that would have given him the added confidence.

The pair put on a mammoth unbeaten 273-run stand shattering the previous highest partnership for New Zealand in a World Cup by more than 100 runs. Conway finished with 152 as Ravindra too stayed unbeaten on 123 and even hit the winning runs.

New Zealand’s skipper Tom Latham says that it was a fantastic performance. Adds that it was an unbelievable partnership between Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra and it was all setup by the bowlers. Credits the bowlers for restricting England to a below-par total.

Mentions that they have had a pretty good build-up leading up to the event and they have experienced guys in the side as well.

Feels that it is about adapting to the conditions as quickly as they can. Shares that Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra played proper cricketing shots which was pleasing to see. On Rachin Ravindra, he says that it was pretty special to watch and they are looking forward to getting around him later on.

England’s captain, Jos Buttler says that it was a disappointing day and they were outplayed by New Zealand but it is just one loss of what is a long tournament. Mentions that a lot of guys in their squad have been on both sides of results like this and hopefully can bounce back right away.

Adds that they were well below par and they should have got at least 330 given how the wicket played and New Zealand simply got off to a flying start. Says that they did give away a few wickets playing poor shots and weren’t clinical enough with their shot-making. Also says that Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra did play some really good shots and the conditions did change as the ball skidded on better and they played a long way short of their best batting.

On Joe Root, he says that he looked back to his old self, and no matter what format he plays, he is the best batter on their side but even for him, it is nice to get a few runs under their belt. Ends by saying that hopefully, Ben Stokes is back for the next game but it all depends on what the physios and trainers say.

Argentina won the qualifying round with Messi’s goal

Messi opened Argentina’s goal book in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Argentina started the World Cup qualifiers by facing Ecuador in Buenos Aires this morning Bangladesh time. The last time world champions got off to a good start with a 1-0 win scored by Lionel Messi. Messi scored the goal from a free kick in the 78th minute.

Argentina get off to a good start in their new World Cup campaign under the magic of Messi

Ecuador’s midfielder Moises Caicedo fouled Lautaro Martinez in front of his own box in the 77th minute and Argentina got a free kick. Messi’s curling free kick from about 20 yards out was seen by Ecuadorian goalkeeper Hernán Galindez into the net. The ball curled into the net near his right post so perfectly that Galindez moved a little to jump, but it was as if by magic!

Argentina vs Ecuador photo by AFP
Argentina vs Ecuador photo by AFP

The last time South America scored a free kick in a World Cup qualifier was 16 years ago. Colombia’s Ruben Dario Bastos scored the goal against Venezuela in 2007. Messi took his record a little further by scoring the first goal in the match in the history of World Cup qualifiers. Messi scored the first goal 14 times in the World Cup qualifying match. The previous record was held by former Guatemalan striker Carlos Ruiz. Argentina remained undefeated for 22 consecutive matches in the World Cup qualifiers.

Leo: “I came out because I was a bit tired. It’s probably not the last time that will happen [come out during the last minutes of the game]. It’s all good, I’m fine.”

Argentina dominated Ecuador by keeping possession of the ball throughout the match. But the attack could not benefit in that way. Finishing suffers. In the 70th minute, as Rodrigo de Paul and Messi exchanged the ball between themselves, they created a scoring opportunity past some Ecuadorian defenders. But Messi’s shot was blocked by Galindez. Until then it seemed that the match was going towards a draw.

But Argentina won the fifth consecutive match after winning the World Cup in Qatar last December with Messi-Magic. Lionel Scaloni’s team has also kept a ‘clean sheet’ in these five matches. Argentina scored 14 goals in these 5 matches. And Messi has also touched Luis Suarez’s record for scoring in the qualifying round of the South American region. The Uruguayan star (29) held the record for the highest number of goals in this continent’s qualifiers. Messi equaled his friend’s record by scoring against Ecuador.

Argentina got the first goal chance in the 16th minute of the match. Messi received the ball in a corner of the box. But could not take the shot properly. Hit the ball outside the post. A minute before the end of the first half, Lautaro Martinez hit the ball on Ecuador’s post. Galindez also blocked a shot by Rodrigo Di Paul, who played brilliantly throughout the match.

Argentina will face Bolivia in their second match in La Paz on Wednesday.

Paraguay were held to a goalless draw by Peru in the other South American qualifier. Colombia beat Venezuela 1-0. Each team will play 18 matches in the qualifiers from this continent. Out of the 10 participating teams, the top 6 teams will directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The seventh team has to play in the intercontinental play-offs.

Moeen Ali Retirement News

Moeen Ali retired After seeing India-England Test venue

Moeen Ali english cricketer confirms his retirement and England Test career is over, won’t tour India next year.

This time, Moin Ali is not keeping anyone’s request. Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum came out of retirement and returned to Tests . His performance in the Ashes clearly shows why he was brought back. It was Moeen who took 3 wickets in the second innings of the Oval Test as well.

The Ashes is over then? England’s next test in Tests is against India in early 2024, also on Indian soil. McCullum felt the need for Moeen again in such a series. However, Moeen Ali is not able to keep the request anymore, he has clearly stated, ‘I am finished here.’

Moeen Ali scored 180 runs and took 9 wickets in 4 Ashes Tests. Although the runs and wickets were not very high, he was effective. He took wickets at important times. He also had to fight with injuries .
Moeen Ali
English all-rounder Moeen Ali | Reuters

The reason why Moeen will not play in the India series despite the team’s request is also interesting. One of the reasons why the English did not want to tour India was the lack of playing in a big venue. Moeen, however, explained the reason with a smile, ‘They (McCullum and Stokes) knew my decision from the start. Especially when the venues for the India tour were announced. Buzz (McCallum) told me again, I said, no, I’m not going to India. There is no chance of going to India. my end It’s great to finish like this and be a part of such a great day.’

Moeen believes that Test cricket is the best version, even though he quit Test cricket earlier, ‘Test cricket is the best. If I could go back! Although my career has had ups and downs, I wouldn’t have changed. I just love it. And it was difficult to come back like that, because I had never done well against Australia before.’

The English all-rounder still can’t believe he came back and played so well after two years, ‘I still can’t believe I did so well. It was great to finish like that. It was tough, but I had nothing to lose, it was like a free-hit. I thought I was bowling well, just worried about the finger. I was not worried at all about bowling.’

Moeen quit Test cricket for the first time in 2021. After that due to the injury of Jack Leach, Moeen returned to the Test due to the need of the team and departed from the Test arena with Broad in the Oval Test.

Sikandar Raja

Raja owns the fastest fifty in the T-10 League

Raja owns the fastest half century in the T-10 league at this year. Sikandar Raza is a Pakistani-born Zimbabwean international cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman who bowls right arm off-spin and plays as an all-rounder.

Sikandar Raja

He scored 70 runs in just 21 balls with 5 fours and 6 sixes. Recorded the fastest fifty of the tournament (15 balls) en route to the innings. The previous record was held by Tim Seifert, 17 balls.

Batting first after losing the toss, Ewin Morgan scored 134 runs in 10 overs. Bulawayo missed the target with 5 balls in hand. Evin Lewis scored the highest 49 runs for Harer. Taskin came bowling in the first over of the match; A wide and two fours for 9 runs. He did not give any run in the remaining four balls.

Coming to his second and last over in the eighth over, he gave 13 runs with three fours and a wide. But on the first ball of that over, Harare dismissed skipper Morgan with a great slower one.

According to the circumstances of the match, Taskin cannot be called too much of a scratch. Where the run rate of the opponent is 13.4, the economy rate of the Bangladeshi pacer is 11.

Bulawayo lost Ben McDermott in the third over chasing the target. Then began Raja’s devastating batting. Kobe added 88 runs off just 29 balls with Hart. Raja got out to be 2 runs away from victory but Beau Webster who got four got the job done easily.

Even in this victory, however, Taskin’s Bulawayo remained in the third place in the points list. The team’s points are 4 in 5 matches with 2 wins. Cape Town Sump Army top with 8 points, Durban Qalanders second with 6 points.

Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh

Afghanistan won the series 2023 tour of Bangladesh

Afghanistan men’s cricket team recently visit Bangladesh for 1 Test, 3 ODI and 2 T20Is Matches series. Bangladesh won only test match and Afghanistan won ODI series.

The Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023 is scheduled to beginning on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 and the end Sunday, July 16, 2023, hosted by Bangladesh. Afghanistan cricket team in Bangladesh in 2023 will plays a Only Test Matches series, 3 ODIs Matches series and 2 T20Is Matches series.

Jun 14, Wed – Jun 18, Sun

04:00 AM GMT | 10:00 AM LOCAL
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Only Test
Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka
Bangladesh won by 546 runs
Jul 05, Wed

08:00 AM GMT | 02:00 PM LOCAL
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 1st ODI
Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram
Afghanistan won by 17 runs (DLS Method)
Jul 08, Sat

08:00 AM GMT | 02:00 PM LOCAL
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI
Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023
Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram
Afghanistan won by 142 runs
Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 1st ODI

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 1st ODI, Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023 – Bangladesh Cricket team will play 1st ODI of 3 ODIs matches of Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023 Series against Afghanistan Cricket Team, where the 1st ODI will be played on Wednesday, July 05, 2023. The BAN vs AFG, 1st ODI match will be played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram, and will get started at 02:00 PM.

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 1st ODI at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram and Afghanistan won by 17 runs (DLS Method).

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI, Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023 – Bangladesh Cricket team will play 2nd ODI of 3 ODIs matches of Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023 Series against Afghanistan Cricket Team, where the 2nd ODI will be played on Saturday, July 08, 2023. The BAN vs AFG, 2nd ODI match will be played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram, and will get started at 11:00 AM LOCAL.

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram and Afghanistan won by 142 runs.

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 3rd ODI

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, 3rd ODI, Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023 – Bangladesh Cricket team will play 3rd ODI of 3 ODIs matches of Afghanistan tour of Bangladesh 2023 Series against Afghanistan Cricket Team, where the 3rd ODI will be played on Tuesday, July 11, 2023. The BAN vs AFG, 3rd ODI match will be played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram, and will get started at 11:00 AM LOCAL.

Messi's Debut

Jose announced the day of Messi’s debut in Inter Miami

Lionel Messi suddenly announced to join Inter Miami amid many rumors. However, no formal agreement has been reached yet. An announcement may come soon. But before that, the Major Soccer League club announced the date of his return to the field. If everything goes well, the Argentinian captain will take the field for the club on July 22.

Jose R. Mas the owner of Inter Miami announced the day of Messi’s debut in the USA. If everything goes well, Argentine captain Lionel Messi will enter the field for Inter Miami on July 22.

On Tuesday, George Maas, the owner of the majority of Miami shares, told local reporters about Messi’s debut. Miami will take on Mexican club Cruz Azul in a League Cup match at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. George Mas said that Messi will play in that match.

leo messi

The league competition is held annually between clubs in the US MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX. This time 29 clubs of MLS and 18 clubs of MX will participate in this competition. The top three teams will qualify for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League.

Meanwhile, after Messi’s announcement, the ticket prices for the Miami match started to increase. All tickets for the entire season have been sold out, not to mention his potential debut match. There are no tickets left for away matches. All in all, Messi madness is going on in American football. Therefore, the club is working to increase the number of seats in its stadium. The capacity will be increased by 3 thousand to 22 thousand.

But the discussion is going on about Messi’s security issue. Although there will be a problem with this, Jorge Maas thinks, ‘We saw that he was here with the Argentina team before the World Cup. He handled himself very well. We had the chance to see Messimania every day during practice. So we are very ready. We are preparing for it.’

Uruguay Won The Title of 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup for 1st time

Uruguay Under 20 football team won the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 for the first time. The 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 23rd edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

In the final against Italy, Luciano Rodríguez’s goal in the 86th minute gave Uruguay their first overall World Cup win. The young footballer scored a goal in the second half after the two teams were scoreless in the first half.

Uruguay U20 Footballer Luciano Rodríguez's
El presidente de Liverpool, que compró al jugador en US$ 500 mil, dijo que recibió ofertas de Europa @Uruguay

More than 40,000 people at the Diego Maradona Stadium, cheered the Uruguayan side. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was also present.

Uruguay had little to rely on their staid defence, which conceded just three possessions against England in the group stage.

Rodriguez’s free kick, two long range shots from captain Fabricio Diaz and a header from Anderson Duarte that forced Italy goalkeeper Sebastiano Desplanch into a stylish save before the South American platoon had clear chances to score. event

Uruguay lost in the finals of the tournament in 1997 and 2013. Brazil was the last winner from South America in 2011.

Celeste’s title came on the heels of Argentina’s World Cup title win in December, which also ended a winning streak by European teams.

Earlier, Israel, who made their debut at the same stadium in La Plata, defeated South Korea 3-1 to take third place.

Indonesia was initially slated to host the tournament, but the Muslim-majority country did not accept Israel’s participation. The organization decided to hand over to Argentina a month before FIFA kick-off.

Uruguay U20 vs Italy U20 Final Match Stats

Team: Uruguay vs Italy
Shots: 15 – 3
On target: 4 – 0
Possession: 46% – 54%
Passes: 299 – 361
Fouls: 13 – 22
Y Card: 2 – 5
Corners: 9 – 3

Uruguay U20 vs Italy U20 Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
Both teams, Uruguay and Italy, have suffered only one defeat in the competition so far.Uruguay have scored 11 goals while conceding two in the process.Uruguay boast four clean sheets as opposed to one for Italy.Italy have scored 13 goals and conceded seven across six matches.Uruguay have won four times and lost once in their last five matches. Likewise, Italy have won four games and lost one.

Uruguay 1-0 Italy
Rodriguez 85 (U)

Uruguay U20: R Rodriguez; Chagas, Boselli, Facundo Gonzalez, Matturro; Diaz, Garcia; L Rodriguez (Homenchenko 96), Franco Gonzalez, De Los Santos (Sosa 91); Duarte (Ferrari 62)

Italy U20: Desplanches; Prati, Ghilardi, Guarino, Turicchia; Casadei, Faticanti (Zanotti 46), Giovane (Pisilli 91); Baldanzi (Lipani 91), Pafundi (Montevago 57); Ambrosino (Esposito 57)

2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup Stats

Host country: Argentina
Dates: 20 May – 11 June
Teams: 24 (from 6 confederations)
Venue(s): 4 (in 4 host cities)

Final positions
Champions: Uruguay (1st title)
Runners-up: Italy
Third place: Israel
Fourth place: South Korea

Tournament statistics
Matches played: 52
Goals scored: 154 (2.96 per match)
Attendance: 692,084 (13,309 per match)
Top scorer(s): Italy Cesare Casadei(7 goals)
Best player(s): Italy Cesare Casadei
Best goalkeeper: Italy Sebastiano Desplanches

Vissel Kobe vs Barcelona

Spanish Club Barcelona Beat Japanese Club Vissel Kobe by 2-0

Barcelona football club beat Japanese club Vissel Kobe by 2 goals. Barcelona signed off the 2022-23 season with a comfortable win over Vissel Kobe in Japan.

Vissel Kobe 0 vs 2 Barcelona

Franck Kessié 16′
Eric García 19′

Vissel Kobe vs Barcelona

Vissel Kobe vs Barcelona, friendly: Final Score 0-2, Pablo Torre shines as Eric Garcia and Franck Kessie goals secure win.

FIRST HALF

Barcelona almost took the lead within the first two minutes in Tokyo. Pablo Torre twisted, turned and fired a shot across goal that hit the bottom of the post and rebounded to safety.

Torre came close again in the 12th minute after receiving the ball on the edge of the area, A neat touch saw him slide past Iniesta and fire a low shot at goal that was blocked by the goalkeeper.

The youngster was at the heart of everything for Barca and teed up the opening goal minutes later. A neat pass picked out a Franck Kessie run, and the midfielder pulled out a pretty composed finish to slide the ball home.

SECOND HALF

The second half brought a host of changes with Jules Kounde, Hector Font, Gavi, Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Marc Giui all entering the fray at the start of the second 45 minutes.

There were more chances after the break for Barcelona too. Giui had a header tipped over the bar from another Torre corner, before Raphinha flashed a fierce effort wide.

Torre departed on the hour and Barca weren’t quite as creative without the midfielder on the pitch. More changes also followed with Arnau Tenas getting some first-team minutes in place of Pena.

Iniesta departed with 10 minutes left to play to a huge ovation from the crowd, and Xavi on the touchline, as he played his final game for Vissel Kobe after almost five years with the J-League side.

How to Enjoy Your Favorite Soccer Match From Anywhere

Soccer is the most popular sports in the world. People want to know how to watch there favorite soccer match, league and others sports everyday. Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, played by over 250 million people in more than 200 countries.

There is many soccer league in the world. Top 10 most watched football leagues in the world are given bellow:

CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE MATCH
EPL LiveLaLiga LiveLige 1 LiveSeria-A LiveBundesliga Live

WATCH LIVE NOW

1. Premier League
The English Premier League is the undisputed leader in viewership across the globe. Considered the toughest league competition in the world, it also surpasses all others in terms of financial might.

2. La Liga
The second most watched league in the world is La Liga. It includes legendary clubs like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona that have traditionally dominated the competition.

3. Ligue 1
Famously known for being imbalanced in favour of the financial might of Paris Saint-Germain, Ligue 1 is one of the most watched football leagues in the world. However, before their takeover by rich owners, the league was a very unpredictable competition.

4. Liga MX
The first division in Mexico is called the Liga MX Apertura and is the strongest North American football league. It bears a close resemblance to Spain and Brazil in the style of gameplay.

5. Serie A
The first division of the Italian league system includes iconic clubs like AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus and more. The league enjoys 24.7k average viewers from the stadiums and reached over 2m viewers.

6. Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is the premier league competition in the United States of America. The division has 27 teams in it, divided into Eastern and Western conferences because of the size of the country.

7. Bundesliga
The Bundesliga is one of the most watched football leagues in the world because of its attacking gameplay. Bayern Munich have won the competition 31 times and are also enjoying a nine-year winning streak.

8. Brasileiro Serie A
The first division of Brazil is the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A. The league is heavily popular in Europe, as it constantly produces incredible young players.

9. Eredivisie
The Eredivisie, the premier league in the Netherlands is popular for its total football philosophy and producing incredible young players.

10. Chinese Super League
The Chinese Super League became a part of the global discussion after the competing clubs started offering huge contracts to attract big stars from Europe.

Soccer is clearly the most popular sport in terms of fans. The FIFA World Cup held every four years has a huge TV audience – over 30 billion people watched the 2006 World Cup in Germany (I know that’s more than the world’s population, this figure is an ‘accumulated’ audience, meaning if people watched more than one game, which most people did, they were counted each time).

 

Others sports fans by country wise are given bellow:

rank Sport Estimated Fans Regional Popularity
1. Soccer / Association Football 3.5 Billion Europe, Africa, Asia, America.
2. Cricket 2.5 Billion Asia, Australia, UK.
3. Field Hockey 2 Billion Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia.
4. Tennis 1 Billion Europe, Asia, America.
5. Volleyball 900 Million Europe, Australia, Asia, America.
6. Table Tennis 850 Million Europe, Africa, Asia, America.
7. Baseball 500 Million America, Japan.
8. Golf 450 Million Europe, Asia, America, Canada.
=9 Basketball 400 Million America.
=9 American Football 400 Million Europe, Africa, Asia, America, Australia.

UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo at Prudential Center

UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Don’t Miss A Moment Of UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo, Live From The Prudential Center In Newark, New Jersey On May 6, 2023.

Watch UFC 288 Full Fight

UFC 288 live stream: How to watch Sterling vs. Cejudo online, match card, start time. Get the live coverage of UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo from Prudential Center in Newark on ESPN, including the main card and prelims.

 

UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo Full Card (👉Live FIGHT CNTER 🌐 LINK)

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Drew Dober (155.5) vs. Matt Frevola (155)
  • Devin Clark (205) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (205)
  • Rolando Bedoya (170) vs. Khaos Williams (169)
  • Virna Jandiroba (115) vs. Marina Rodriguez (115)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Parker Porter (249) vs. Braxton Smith (262)
  • Ikram Aliskerov (186) vs. Phil Hawes (185)
  • Rafael Estevam ()* vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (125)
  • Joseph Holmes (189)** vs. Claudio Ribeiro (185)

UFC 288

Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will make the third defense of his title Saturday against former two- division winner Henry Cejudo in the main event of UFC 288 Sterlingvs. Cejudo. Their five-round battle tops the pay– per- view main UFC 288 fight card( 10p.m. ET) from the Prudential Center in Newark,N.J. Sterling is extensively considered one of the sport‘s top grapplers and he’s on an eight- fight winning band heading into Saturday.
But he used his stage– up game to knock out former championT.J Dillashaw in his last spin. Cejudo will return from a three- time absence and step directly into a title shot. He’s one of just four two- division titleholders in UFC history. The others are Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes.

The early weigh-ins take place at the UFC host hotel in New Jersey and precede the ceremonial weigh-ins for the fans, which take place at 4 p.m. ET at Prudential Center in Newark. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event, which has a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) puts his title on the line against former two-division champ Henry Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC). Cejudo is coming out of a retirement of nearly three years.

Cejudo was the first fighter to the scale in the two-hour official window and was 135 pounds on the nose. Sterling was the second to last fighter to weigh in, but still came to the scale with about 50 minutes left in the session. He was under the title limit at 134 to make the headliner official.

In the co-feature, Gilbert Burns (22-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) takes on Belal Muhammad (22-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in a hastily assembled welterweight No. 1 contender fight that was booked just 16 days out. The winner has been promised the next shot at the title after Colby Covington takes on champion Leon Edwards. Muhammad was 170 pounds; Burns came in at 171.

The flyweight fight between Rafael Estevam (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Zhalgas Zhumagulov (14-8 MMA, 1-5 UFC) was canceled due to what UFC officials termed “weight-cutting issues” for Estevam. Zhumagulov made weight at 125 pounds early in the session, but Estevam never made a trip to the scale.

And the middleweight bout between Joseph Holmes (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and Claudio Ribeiro (10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), which is set to open up the preliminary card, will take place at a catchweight after Holmes came in at 189 pounds. He’ll forfeit 20 percent of his purse as a penalty, but the fight will go on.

The early weigh-ins took place at the UFC host hotel in New Jersey and preceded the ceremonial weigh-ins for the fans, which take place at 4 p.m. ET at Prudential Center in Newark. The same venue hosts Saturday’s event, which has a main card on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.