5 most explosive moments from UFC 273: Alexander Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie

#2. Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns produce the best fight of 2022 thus far

Khamzat Chimaev's fight with Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 ended up producing one of the best fights in recent memory

Coming into UFC 273, the fight that appeared to be garnering the most hype was the welterweight clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns. Thankfully, the bout lived up to every expectation and turned out to be probably the best fight of 2022 thus far.

From the first moment of the opening round to the final seconds of the third, this clash was absolutely full of explosive action, with both men landing huge shots that probably would’ve put most fighters away.

The first round saw ‘Borz’ drop Burns heavily with a right hand, before pouncing in an attempt to finish him off. The second saw ‘Durinho’ hurt his Chechen foe on more than one occasion, forcing Chimaev to show a surprisingly excellent chin.

The third, meanwhile, was equally dramatic and saw Chimaev land the heavier blows in the exchanges, which managed to earn him a unanimous decision win. In the end, neither man backed down, and so neither looked like a loser.

Overall, while there wasn’t a finish in this bout, there was enough action from beginning to end to make it an instant classic. It was the kind of fight that UFC fans will go back to rewatch multiple times in the future.

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#1. Alexander Volkanovski retains his UFC featherweight title in violent fashion

In the end, Alexander Volkanovski's fight with Chan Sung Jung at UFC 273 was mercifully stopped

UFC 273’s headline bout saw featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski defend his title in dominant fashion over Chan Sung Jung. While it took him four rounds to finish off ‘The Korean Zombie’, it’s safe to say that he did so in explosive fashion in the end.

In reality, the fight should never have gone into the fourth. ‘The Great’, who had beaten down Jung from the start of the first round, landed a seriously vicious knockdown late in the third and then hammered this opponent on the ground afterwards.

While Volkanovski couldn’t quite seal the deal before the buzzer sounded, Jung was unable to get to his feet and was essentially carried to his corner. That probably should’ve been enough for the fight to be called off. Instead, despite a doctor checking on the challenger, it was allowed to go on.

Thankfully, referee Herb Dean was firmly on the ball, and when Volkanovski landed a vicious right hand that snapped Jung’s head back early in the fourth round, he stepped in with ‘The Korean Zombie’ still on his feet.

It was an excellent stoppage from Dean, and while it would’ve been more explosive had Volkanovski been allowed to finish Jung, it also would’ve been criminally unfair to the challenger. In the end, Alexander 'The Great’ Volkanovski picked up a huge win with his first TKO since 2018 and closed the UFC 273 pay-per-view with a bang.