5 blockbuster fights to keep an eye on at UFC 273

Next Saturday sees UFC 273 go down from Jacksonville, Florida. Despite some late changes, this is an event definitely worth checking out.

UFC 273 not only features two title bouts at the top of the card, but there are plenty of other intriguing fights on tap both on the main card and the preliminaries.

With that in mind, here are five blockbuster fights to keep an eye on at UFC 273.

---

#5. UFC strawweight bout: Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres

Mackenzie Dern's grappling skills make her a potentially intriguing strawweight title contender

Reigning strawweight champion Rose Namajunas is set to defend her title against top contender Carla Esparza in May, but who will be next for the winner of that fight?

There are a number of viable challengers out there, but with an impressive performance next weekend, either Mackenzie Dern or Tecia Torres could well jump to the front of the queue.

Dern is coming off a loss to Marina Rodriguez in her last fight, but it’s not like she put in a bad showing, with the bout winning the event’s Fight of the Night award. More importantly, her style makes her arguably the most intriguing challenge for the champion, whether that’s Namajunas or Esparza.

Simply put, Dern is the best grappler in the division by a mile right now when it comes to her Brazilian jiu-jitsu credentials. If she can put Torres on the ground next weekend, then there’s a chance she’ll win impressively.

However, only a fool would count out Torres. ‘The Tiny Tornado’ has been in the promotion now for nearly eight years and, right now, she’s riding a three-fight winning streak and has looked excellent in those bouts.

Torres has a skilled striking game, as well as solid takedown defense. So there’s every chance that she could put Dern under real pressure if she can stuff the first few shots that come her way.

Either way, this is definitely a fight not to miss, particularly as Dern has claimed a total of four post-fight bonus awards since her arrival in the octagon in 2018.

#4. UFC heavyweight bout: Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Marcin Tybura

Dangerous striker Jairzinho Rozenstruik is set to be in action next weekend

UFC 273 features a heavyweight bout between Aleksei Oleinik and Jared Vanderaa. However, it’s arguable that this is the best clash of big men at next weekend’s event.

That contest is set to see Jairzinho Rozenstruik take on Marcin Tybura. While both men are coming off the back of defeats, they remain ranked in the top 10 and are amongst the most dangerous heavyweights on the planet.

Interestingly, this is an old-school clash of a striker against a grappler. Given the limitations that both men have shown in the other man’s area of expertise, there’s a clear path to victory for either one.

Rozenstruik is one of the most devastating strikers in the division, with all of his wins in the octagon coming via KO or TKO, including victories over Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos.

However, ‘Bigi Boy’ was outclassed on the ground by Curtis Blaydes in his last fight, which should give Tybura some hope.

Poland’s ‘Tybur’ is a remarkably dangerous ground fighter with a brutal ground-and-pound game, particularly if he can find a dominant position on his opponent, like full mount. However, on the feet, he’s markedly slower and more plodding, and has been knocked out on three occasions in the past.

Basically, then, it seems highly unlikely that this fight will go the distance. If the winner looks impressive, there’s every chance they’ll be pushed into a big fight next time around, meaning this one is a must-see affair.

---

#3. UFC welterweight bout: Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Is Gilbert Burns the man to stop the rise of Khamzat Chimaev?

While UFC 273’s two title bouts are obviously the strongest on offer at the event, it’s arguable that more fans are talking about the fight that’s third on the billing – the welterweight clash between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev.

The reason for that is quite obvious. Chimaev is probably the most highly-touted prospect to hit the octagon in years. Thus far, he’s lived up to all of the hype put on his name. He’s gone 4-0 since arriving in the promotion in 2020, has destroyed all of his opponents and hasn’t even absorbed a clean strike.

However, Burns is on a completely different level to his previous opponents. ‘Durinho’ is currently ranked No.2 in the welterweight rankings and his victories over Stephen Thompson, Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia have marked him out as one of the best 170lbers in the world right now.

Can the Brazilian deal with the storm that ‘Borz’ is likely to bring next weekend, though? It’s highly debatable. He’s more proven at this level, but on paper at least, Chimaev may well be considered a nightmare match for him.

Either way, we should find out exactly how good the Chechnyan fighter is next weekend. Given the publicity around this bout, it’s a clash that no self-respecting UFC fan can afford to miss.

#2. UFC bantamweight title: Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan

Can Petr Yan regain his bantamweight crown from Aljamain Sterling?

The UFC bantamweight title rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan has been a long time coming, well over a year in fact. Given the controversial ending to their first meeting, it’s safe to say that there are a lot of scores to settle here.

For those fans who missed their first bout, Yan appeared to be on his way to retaining his title, probably via decision, when he landed an illegal knee to the head of Sterling in the fourth round. ‘Funk Master’ was rendered unable to continue and became the first UFC champion to win his title by disqualification.

Since then, Sterling has been out of action after suffering numerous injuries and has had to deal with a number of fans labeling him a “paper champion.” Meanwhile, Yan became interim champion by defeating Cory Sandhagen last October.

So how will this rematch go? Plenty of fans are expecting ‘No Mercy’ to simply run through Sterling and reclaim his title. The truth is that they may be sorely mistaken. ‘Funk Master’ is a dangerous grappler who, at his best, has the ability to beat any 135lber on the planet.

Sure, we could see a carbon copy of their first bout. But it feels more likely that Sterling will make at least some adjustments, meaning this one could be pretty wild overall,and could end up as one of the more memorable title bouts in recent memory.

---

#1. UFC featherweight title: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung

Can Alexander Volkanovski hang onto his featherweight title when he faces Chan Sung Jung?

UFC 273’s main event will see Alexander Volkanovski defend his featherweight crown against ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung. While this fight isn’t as good on paper as Volkanovski’s initially planned third bout with Max Holloway would’ve been, it still sounds pretty great.

While his record in recent years has been a little patchy – he’s only fought twice since the start of 2020 and one of those bouts saw him lose to Brian Ortega – it’s arguable than Jung is the most exciting 145lber in the division’s history.

His bouts with Yair Rodriguez, Dustin Poirier and Leonard Garcia are legendary. Every time he steps into the octagon, he brings an unmatched level of aggression with him.

To write him off as a simple brawler would be a mistake, though. ‘The Korean Zombie’ is a remarkably skilled ground fighter who also possesses great technical striking to go along with his iron jaw.

However, next weekend, he’ll be faced with arguably the greatest featherweight of all time in the form of ‘Alexander the Great’. The Australian has never been beaten at 145 pounds and holds wins over Holloway, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes and Ortega.

Volkanovski’s striking skills are second-to-none, his cardio is phenomenal, he’s a deceptively great wrestler and if his last bout is anything to go by, it’s nearly impossible to submit him.

Basically, if Jung wants to win this one then he’ll have to pull off something special. If he can’t, Volkanovski will simply add more evidence to the idea that he’s the greatest. Either way, it’s a must-see bout.