5 biggest storylines heading into UFC 273

UFC 273 is about as stacked as a card can be. Prospects are fighting, titles are on the line, and an always-exciting Florida crowd will energize the arena -- this pay-per-view has the potential to be one of the best in the promotion's history.

As we're only days away from this highly-touted event, the excitement is boiling over, and the weekend cannot come soon enough. Although fans will often criticize the merit of an event, almost everyone agrees that UFC 273 is well worth the hype it's received.

The beauty of the UFC 273 fight card is that even the prelims and early prelims are loaded to the brim with recognizable talent and hot prospects. It's undeniable that this card is well worth the watch, but what about the emotional investment?

There are so many implications with the outcome of the fights on this card - be it number one contenders or champions looking to assert who truly rules their division. The stories attached to the fighters performing at this event make everything about this card all the more exciting.

Here are the five biggest storylines heading into UFC 273:

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#5. Petr Yan's corner

UFC 269 Press Conference

The political climate of the world will always spill over into day-to-day life. With Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine, Russian athletes have had a hard time with travel or even the opportunity to compete outside of their native land. While Petr Yan has already landed in America, his corner could not make it.

However, the former bantamweight champion doesn't seem too stressed out. He feels that he has what it takes to defeat the controversial champion, Aljamain Sterling, in their rematch without the advice of a corner to back him. Many UFC fighters are also of the opinion that 'No Mercy' is good enough to fight without cornermen.

Although unconventional cornering has been done before, with a prime example being Mike Perry only having his girlfriend in his corner, Yan is taking a different approach. Henry Cejudo will be cornering Chan Sung Jung in the main event at UFC 273 in his home state of Arizona. Another bantamweight fighter that resides in this southwest state is Sean O'Malley.

The 29-year-old interim champion has extended an invitation to both Cejudo and O'Malley to be functioning parts of his corner come April 9th. Although Cejudo may be busy warming up with 'The Korean Zombie' as his fight takes place directly after Yan's, the Russian fighter is hoping 'Triple C' will join his corner. Furthermore, O'Malley recently declined, but he's not one to shy away from surprises. It'll be interesting to see who will be there for Yan come fight day.

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#4. Can Ian Garry follow Conor McGregor's footsteps at UFC 273?

Could Ian Garry be the next big Irish sensation after Conor McGregor? [Image via @iangarry on Instagram]

Segueing off of fighters that have gone the unconventional cornering route is Ireland's Ian Garry. 'The Future' is an undefeated 24-year-old who entered the UFC after winning the Cage Warriors welterweight championship. This feat was performed after his former team opted not to be there for him, just about rendering Garry without anybody in his corner.

'The Future' took his debut by the reins and scored a beautiful first-round knockout over fellow prospect Jordan Williams. Afterward, Garry was interviewed by Joe Rogan and showed no nerves about being on the big stage or be speaking to Rogan with a hot mic in his hands. Although he did admit to feeling nervous for the first time in his life while fighting, nobody would've guessed it.

The Irish fans are amongst the most loyal in MMA history. They helped carry McGregor to stardom, but is Garry destined for the same spotlight? 8-0, 6 finishes, 24-years of age -- Ian Garry doesn't want to be the next Conor McGregor, but he can follow in the footsteps of 'The Notorious' and etch his name in history.

Ian Garry will headline the UFC 273 prelims in a welterweight contest against Darian Weeks.

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#3. 'The Korean Zombie' gets a title shot after nearly nine years at UFC 273

UFC Fight Night: The Korean Zombie v Ige Weigh-in

It may not be the fight that fans were expecting, but it's a very, very interesting one that is slated for April 9. Initially set to take on Max Holloway in a rare trilogy match where one man has won the first two bouts, Alexander Volkanovski wanted to put the nail in the coffin and defeat 'Blessed' one final time. Holloway was forced to pull out, unfortunately, and the featherweight division had many contenders raising their hands to step up to bat.

Giga Chikadza, Henry Cejudo, Calvin Kattar -- fighters were ready to state their case immediately. Former title challenger, Chan Sung Jung, was granted the opportunity as he's won three of his last five. While some will argue that Jung doesn't deserve this title fight, there's some merit to his name. Otherwise, the UFC wouldn't have booked him to headline such a star-studded event.

Zombie has a very unique style and is dangerous anywhere the fight could potentially take place. Coming off of a decision victory over Dan Ige, fans should note that this is the only decision victory in Jung's impressive UFC career. Every other organizational victory of his has been won via finish. Although Volkanovski is no stranger to a dangerous fight, Jung's weapons sure make this match an exciting one.

The UFC 273 main event is almost a full circle for 'The Korean Zombie', who last fought for the featherweight strap against Jose Aldo at UFC 163 in 2013. Given his constant dedication and impressive resurgence, this opportunity is long due for the 145lb division mainstay.

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#2. Will the Khamzat Chimaev hype continue to build after UFC 273?

UFC Fight Night: Chimaev v Meerschaert

Another undefeated fighter on the UFC 273 bill is Khamzat Chimaez. At 10-0, Chimaev has had one of the most dominant and quickest rises to fame. To validate expectations and lengthen the tracks that his hype train is soaring on, he'll need to get past Gilbert Burns.

Burns is no slouch. He's fought for the belt, has bombs for hands, and is one of the most decorated jiu-jitsu practitioners in the UFC. Coming off of a decisive win against Stephen Thompson, 'Durinho' was one of the few that elected to take a fight against Chimaev.

This is a huge step up in competition for 'Borz', but he's the betting favorite nonetheless. This welterweight bout has significant title implications, seeing as Burns is ranked No.2 in the division. UFC 273 has a lot to offer, but fans are gathered in anticipation to see just how true the hype behind Chimaev is.

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#1. Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling

UFC 259: Yan v Sterling

In what was possibly the most controversial change of titleholders, Aljamain Sterling ate an illegal knee that was fired ferociously at his head while he was deemed to be grounded. Petr Yan, the former champion, thought that Sterling would be on his way up and fired the knee to catch him as soon as it would be a legal strike. This wasn't the case, however.

While Sterling is the champion, he won via disqualification in a fight that looked harder and harder for him with each passing minute. 'Funk Master' did have success in the first two rounds, but the remainder of the fight was him surviving against a barrage of offense from 'No Mercy'.

Yan defeated Cory Sandhagan to claim the bantamweight's interim title, which led us to where we are today. Sterling has had surgery and has put in the requisite work to feel confident that this UFC 273 match will go much differently than their first meeting. On the other side of things, the Russian looks to pick up where he left off and decisively rid the bantamweight title of Aljamain Sterling.