Camila Sosa
With just a few days left until the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, hosts UFC 273, and fans are already gearing up for what will be a memorable night of high-caliber fights.
The main card of the event will see Alexander Volkanovski defend his featherweight title for the third time in a fight against Chang Sung Jung, or better known as the “Korean Zombie”. However, there will be other duels worth watching, such as the second edition of the showdown between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan, as well as a welterweight clash between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev.
There will also be other fights on the main card including a women’s clash between Mackenzie Dern and Tecia Torres and a lightweight showdown between Vinc Pichel and Mark Madsen.
Below there is a review about some of the storylines to follow in this UFC 273 that promises to bring excitement to mixed martial arts fans.
1.- A not-so-Anticipated Main Event Fight at this UFC 273?
In theory, the clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Chang Sung Jung should be the main focus at this UFC 273, as the Australian is set to continue making history to establish himself as the best in history in the featherweight division.
However, the fact that “Korean Zombie” is his opponent may leave a bad taste in the mouths of some who were hoping for a third showdown between Volkanovski and Max Holloway. Holloway is arguably the second best featherweight fighter in UFC history, so if Volkanovski wants to etch his name in golden letters, what better way to do it than against another fighter who has made history as Holloway, who will not be present at this UFC 273 due to injury.
Nevertheless, the Korean is not entirely a bad replacement for Holloway, although he is certainly not what many fans were hoping for heading into this event. Sung will attempt to capture the featherweight title for the second time in his career, with his previous attempt being in 2013 when he lost to Jose Aldo at UFC 163.
2.- A Rethinking of Strategy
The fight between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan made many question what kind of show they would see on this occasion.
Sterling would have lost the previous edition of this clash had Yan not connected with an illegal knee that saw him disqualified. The American started the fight with a lot of energy — perhaps too much energy — and as the rounds went on he lost momentum, so the Russian took the lead before the illegal action that saw Sterling take the win.
A little over a year has passed since then, so both fighters have had enough time to rethink how they want to approach this bout. Sterling commented that this was not his best night, and that not eating enough food hurt him as the rounds progressed. This is something that will have to change as Yan is known for studying his opponents and improving as the rounds progress, so we will have to see how this fight develops.
3. – What Everyone Expects to See
Although it doesn’t have the biggest spotlight, the popular pick for this UFC 273 is the clash between Chimaev and Burns.
Khamzat Chimaev has gained momentum among many fans lately and is looking to get into title contention against #2 Gilbert Burns less than two years into his octagon career. Burns, however, has earned his spot after defeating the likes of Tyron Woodley, Stephen Thompson and Demian Maia, and this showdown against a rising star like the Russian will serve as a measure of his abilities.
If Chimaev can justify his status as the favorite in this clash, then he may have what it takes to take on division champion Kamaru Usman, although his Brazilian opponent will surely not let his path to greatness be an easy one.
