UFC 273 will be headlined by a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Chan Sung Jung. In the co-main event, Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan will square off in a rematch, with undisputed bantamweight gold on the line. The event will take place at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Volkanovski, the reigning featherweight champion, will look to defend his belt for the third time when he takes on 'The Korean Zombie' in the main event. The co-main event will see Sterling, the bantamweight champ, square off against Yan, the interim champ, more than a year after their controversial first meeting.
It was recently revealed that a highly-anticipated welterweight scrap will also be underway on the main card of UFC 273. Rising star Khamzat Chimaev will take on former title challenger Gilbert Burns in a three-round bout. UFC president Dana White has revealed that the victor of this bout will likely compete for the title next.
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Women's strawweight contenders Mackenzie Dern and Tecia Torres will also come to blows on the main card. A middleweight fight between former title contender Kelvin Gastelum and No.12-ranked Nassourdine Imavov is set to kick off the pay-per-view.
Khamzat Chimaev's road to UFC 273
Khamzat Chimaev is undoubtedly the hottest prospect in the UFC right now. The Russian-born Swedish phenom initially made waves with a couple of dominant performances on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi in 2020.
Subsequently, 'Borz' took on Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley. Chimaev knocked Meerschaert out just 17 seconds into the bout, establishing himself as one of the most intriguing prospects in years.
Despite Chimaev's incredible 3-0 start in the promotion, there wasn't much talk of him competing for a championship as he was still unranked. Moreover, the three opponents he faced were unranked as well, with two of them no longer being a part of the UFC.
He was then booked to fight No.11-ranked Li Jingliang at UFC 267 on Fight Island. Many believed that this bout would be a conclusive litmus test to show whether he was a legitimate title contender. Chimaev secured a double-leg takedown and effortlessly choked out Jingliang in the first round.
There was no doubt after the bout that Chimaev is a real threat to Kamaru Usman's reign as the UFC welterweight champion. Currently ranked No.11 in the 170 lbs division, he is set for the biggest test of his career when he squares off against No.3-ranked Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.