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At UFC 273, Alexander Volkanovski will attempt to defend his UFC featherweight title against Chan Sung Jung, aka 'The Korean Zombie.' The fight headlines a stacked card that will no doubt go down as one of the events of the year.
However, there is an argument to be made that 'The Korean Zombie' hasn't quite done enough to earn a title shot just yet. He is 1-1 in his last two fights, having defeated Dan Ige but coming up short against Brian Ortega. Jung is a veteran of the division and certainly deserves one more shot at the belt before he retires, but there are a number of other contenders who could make a better case for a title fight.
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In the following list, we detail five fighters that could have competed for the UFC featherweight title instead of Chan Sung Jung. Honorable mentions go to Yair Rodriguez, Giga Chikadze, and Bryce Mitchell.
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#5. Brian 'T-City' Ortega
The last man to fight for the UFC featherweight title, Brian Ortega, is also the last man to defeat 'The Korean Zombie.' Ortega was thourgly beaten by Volkanovski, but did come increbly close to winning on two occasions, locking up two tight submission attempts.
Ultimately, Alexander Volkanovski was the definitive victor that night, but the bout was a clear fight of the year contender, and few would likely scorn the idea of a rematch between the two elite 145er's.
However, Ortega now appears set for a bout against Yair Rodriguez this summer. This fight could easily serve as a number one contender matchup, so don't be surprised if 'T-City' is back in the title mix very soon.
#4. Josh Emmett
Currently riding a four-fight winning streak, Josh Emmett has very good reason to feel upset by with the UFC overlooking him for title contention. Emmett defeated Dan Ige, Shane Burgos, Mirsad Bektic, and Michael Johnson, with each fight being extremely entertaining.
The fact that the UFC seemed willing to offer Emmett a fight with Max Holloway is the perfect indication that the promotion believes he is ready to fight the best of the division. Emmett is prone to injury, so it could well be that there were some behind-the-scenes issues that stopped him from being in the title conversation.
But from a purely stylistic stand point, Volkanovski vs. Emmett is a legitimately interesting matchup. Emmett is one of the better wrestlers in the division, and also has one punch knockout power. These factors alone may give Volkanovski issues that he has not yet faced in the UFC octagon.
#3. Arnold 'Almighty' Allen
Arnold Allen's recent performance at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall against Dan Hooker proved that he is among the elite featherweights in the world right now. The Englishman finished Hooker in the first round with a violent barrage of strikes that forced a standing TKO stoppage.
The reasoning for the UFC not putting Allen in a title fight over Jung is obvious. They hoped to put him in the co-main spot in front of a UK crowd to grow hype around his name, and that is exactly what happened.
However, Allen vs. Volkanovski is another incredibly intriguing fight. Allen is a tricky southpaw striker, training with Firas Zahabi at the iconic Tristar Gym in Canada. He also spent his most recent training camp at Syndicate MMA, working with the likes of Leon Edwards, Jai Herbert, and Tom Breese.
#2. Calvin Kattar
In January, 2022 Calvin Kattar derailed the hype train of Giga Chikadze, putting up a five-round beating on 'Ninja.' Prior to the loss, many believed that Chikadze would be the UFC's go-to pick to face Alexander Volkanovski after the trilogy bout with Holloway fell through.
Unfortuantly, Kattar didn't appear to steal the hype from Chikadze, despite dominating their fight. It may be that Kattar's own loss at the hands of Max Holloway in 2021 is still looming over his head for some.
It would be intriguing as to how Volkanovski would deal with Kattar's heavy boxing approach, which appeared better than ever in the Chikadze fight. Kattar is also an underatred wrestler, and may be able to defend Volkanovski's takedown attempts. Instead, it seems likely that Kattar will next face fellow top contender Arnold Allen in the summer.
#1. Max 'Blessed' Holloway
Alexander Volkanovski was initially scheduled to face Max Holloway for a third time at UFC 273. Unfortuantly, shortly after the fight was announced, it was revealed that Max Holloway had sustained an injury and was out of the fight.
Shortly after, it was rumored that the UFC were working on a future fight between Holloway and Josh Emmett, implying that Holloway's injury wouldn't have him out for any major period of time.
A fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway is always going to be one of the best fights you can make in the entire promotion. With all due respect to Jose Aldo, Holloway and Volkanovski are the two greatest featherweights in UFC history. The second fight was so close that many had Holloway winning, and it seems inevitable that the two men will face off at least once more.
