5 blockbuster fights to keep an eye on at UFC 273

#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.

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#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.