Martial arts’ top promotion heads to the Sunshine State on Saturday night, as VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, will host UFC 273. Alexander Volkanovski will defend his UFC Featherweight belt against Chan Sung Jung, known as “The Korean Zombie.” The co-main event is a UFC Bantamweight Championship title unification rematch pitting the current champ, Aljamain Sterling, against former champion and present interim title holder Petr Yan, as they renew their rivalry from UFC 259, when Sterling won by disqualification via illegal knee strike. We have the full fight card, followed by our online UFC betting thoughts about the top two tilts.
UFC 273: Volkanovski vs The Korean Zombie Preview
Main Card (Pay Per View)
- Alexander Volkanovski vs Chan Sung Jung (UFC Featherweight Championship)
- Aljamain Sterling vs Petr Jan (UFC Bantamweight Championship reunification)
- Gilbert Burns vs Khamzat Chimaev (Welterweight)
- Mackenzie Dern vs Tecia Torres (Women’s Strawweight)
- Vinc Pichel vs Mark Madsen (Lightweight)
Preliminary Card (ESPN)
- Ian Garry vs Darian Weeks (Welterweight)
- Anthony Hernandez vs Josh Fremd (Middleweight)
- Aspen Ladd vs Raquel Pennington (Women’s Bantamweight)
- Mickey Gall vs Mike Malott (Welterweight)
Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
- Alexey Oleynik vs Jared Vanderaa (Heavyweight)
- Piera Rodriguez vs Kay Hansen (Women’s Catchweight – 118.5 lbs)
- Julio Arce vs Daniel Santos (Catchweight – 136.5 lbs)
Alexander Volkanovski (23-1, 10-0 UFC, -700) vs Chan Sung Jung (17-6, 7-3 UFC, +450)
is Volkanovski’s next chance to continue his reputation as one of the dominant fighters in the promotion. Initially, there were questions about whether he would be able to complement his wrestling game with striking skills, but it was his win over Jose Aldo in 2019 that showed he had moved to an elite level. He used a striking game that showed the ability to feint and also press ahead, instead of relying on sheer pressure, and his mobility worked against one of the promotion’s top featherweights. He beat Max Holloway on the cards at the end of 2019 to take the belt and then won a rematch the next year. He als beat Brian Ortega in September, surviving a guillotine choke in the third round to win on points.Jung does not have the best record in the division, but he brings such a violent approach to the sport that he has earned a title shot. He joined UFC with a three-fight winning streak, including a brutal war against Dustin Poirier that saw Jung win via submission. He had to take a break for almost four years due to injuries and required military service, but then he returned in 2017 and knocked out Dennis Bermudez, Renato Carneiro and FRankie Edgar in succession. He was beating Yair Rodriguez on the cards until he got a bizarre elbow that knocked him out in the fight’s last second. After losing to Orega in 2020, he bounced back in June, beating Dan Ige with a wrestling game that looked new. But can he beat the champ? Expect Volkanovski to spend the early part of the fight reading Jung, who will have to rely on counters to have any chance.
Final Prediction: Volkanovski wins via decision
Aljamain Sterling (20-3, 12-3 UFC, +350) vs Petr Yan (16-2, 8-1 UFC, -475)
should finally resolve the chaos around the UFC Bantamweight belt. Henry Cejudo’s surprise retirement in 2020 opened the floodgates in a crowded and talented division. Yan and Jose Aldo squared off, with Yan delivering an emphatic beating in the fifth round that led to a stoppage. Sterling’s climb to the top has been more frustrating, as he had a difficult time bringing his striking game to a level equal to his wrestling, which led to some tough losses. When these two met the first time, Sterling went on the attack, giving Yan a minimum amount of space and time, using pressure with striking volume and takedowns. Sterling found that he could not maintain that pace after two rounds, and his exhaustion showed; Sterling converted 1 of 17 takedown attempts, while Yan converted all eight of them. It was Yan’s illegal knee that caused the commotion that still runs today.It’s hard to argue that Sterling is any more likely to slow down Yan’s momentum this time around, although he could mix pressure with pace management and keep Yan guessing longer. Yan’s wrestling advantage, though, should end up turning the fight in his direction.
Final Prediction: Yan wins via decision
UFC Betting Odds
Love betting on the UFC fights? | Xbet Sportsbook offers up to date UFC lines
