The UFC returns to Florida this weekend when some of the best fighters in the world will step into the octagon in VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville for UFC 273. It’s a loaded card and fans both in attendance and watching at home on ESPN+ are in for a very exciting night.
Two championship fights headline the card, including a rematch of a contest that ended in an unfortunate disqualification. Plus, two of the top welterweight contenders will square off as they look to posture for a future shot at the crown.
Welterweight bout: Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Something’s gotta give in this matchup. Both of these guys are absolute destroyers. Burns comes in with a 20-4 record and 14 finishes. He came very close to stopping dominant welterweight champion Kamaru Usman last year, before he had the tables turned on him and was knocked out himself. He has since recovered with a decision win over Stephen Thompson and is now looking to keep that momentum rolling as he reaches for another title shot. As the number two welterweight, he’s not far off.
Standing in his way though is an undefeated, 11th-ranked contender. More impressively, Chimaev has finished all 10 of his opponents, with six knockouts and has only been out of the first round twice. His four UFC fights have totaled just 7:54 and have resulted in two knockouts and two submissions. At 27 years old, Chimaev is one of the most promising stars the UFC has to offer, but Burns is by far his biggest test to date. This might come down to who can land first.
My pick: Chimaev via 2nd round knockout
Bantamweight Championship bout: Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan
This is a rematch of a fight that took place in March of last year. That fight unfortunately ended when Yan hit Sterling with an illegal knee and got himself disqualified. Now, as the current champ, Sterling will be fighting for the first time since that meeting and will look to put an “undisputed” in front of his “champion” title. With a 20-3 record, he certainly has the resume to be considered one of the best in the sport.
However, prior to the illegal knee, Yan was definitely winning that first fight. If not for that disqualification, Yan would be 17-1 and riding a 12-fight win streak. He has seven wins by knockout and has proven to be a very dangerous striker, knocking out UFC legends like Urijah Faber and Jose Aldo. Yan is going to want to keep this fight on the feet and get inside where he can nullify Sterling’s reach. Sterling will likely look to get this fight to the floor, but that is easier said than done.
My pick: Yan via 4th round knockout
Featherweight Championship bout: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung
Every once in a while a very game fighter puts on a bunch of very exciting fights, builds a huge fanbase and eventually finds himself in a title fight against a dominant champion. It get a lot of people excited and looks great on paper, but that’s how you end up with a -720 betting favorite in the main event of a pay-per-view.
Volkanovski hasn’t lost a fight since 2013. He’s riding a 20-fight winning streak and has beaten guys like Aldo, Max Holloway (twice), Brian Ortega and Chad Mendes. In other words,he has beaten the best this division has to offer. With 11 knockouts on his 23-1 record, he is known as one of the most talented strikers in the division but he can also work a bit on the ground, racking up three submission wins. He’s going to look to keep this fight on the feet though, where he can pick Jung apart.
Jung has been in some absolute wars. With a 17-6 record, six knockouts and eight submissions, he has proven he can get the job done on the highest level. He’s as tough as they come and definitely not easy to finish, but he’s still won just four of his last seven fights. While that doesn’t sound bad, it’s not exactly the typical recent resume you see for a championship challenger. The key for Jung in this title fight will be to get this fight to the ground and keep away from the dangerous striking game of the champ. However, if he is unable to do that, his chin is going to be tested like it never has before.
My pick: Volkanovski via decision
UFC 273 will be held Saturday night, April 9 at 10 PM ET. Fight fans can order the pay per view through ESPN+ and receive a special offer: $89.98 for UFC 273 and an ESPN+ annual plan. ESPN+ subscribers can order the pay per view for $69.99.