5 reasons why UFC 273 will be the best UFC event of 2022 so far

#4. UFC 273 has a truly stacked main card

The main card of UFC 273 is stacked beyong belief, and we'll be keeping our fingers crossed that it stays that way. In the post COVID-19 era, travel restrictions, vaccination protocols and visa issues have hampered fighters' scheduled bouts and multiple fight cards have taken a hit over the last few months.

For now, this pay-per-view is looking strong. In the main event, reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanvski squares off against top-ranked contender 'The Korean Zombie'. The co-main event sees bantamweight titleholder Aljamain Sterling run it back with interim champion Petr Yan. The main card also features the much anticipated welterweight clash between No.2-ranked Gilbert Burns and No.11-ranked Khamzat Chimaev.

The one fight that is largely flying under the radar is the Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres matchup. Dern, currently ranked No.5 in the strawweight division, will be eager to bounce back following her loss to Marina Rodriguez last year. Torres, who occupies the No.7 spot at 115 pounds, will be eyeing a spot in the top five with a win this weekend.

Undefeated wrestling phenom Mark O. Madsen is also set to return to the octagon at UFC 273. The Olympic silver medallist and multi-time wrestling world champion boasts an impeccable professional record of 11-0. He is likely one or two wins away from breaking into the rankings at 155 pounds.

He is set to take on The Ultimate Fighter season 15 alum Vinc Pichel, who's been in the UFC for over seven years. Madsen is an ominous presence in the lightweight division and is a nightmare stylistic matchup for almost anyone he goes up against. While he's struggled to put away his opponents so far in his UFC career, this particular matchup looks tailormade for 'The Olympian'.

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#3. No unnecessary drama and backstory in the UFC 273 main event, unlike UFC 270, 271 and 272

The main event of UFC 273 sees featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski take on Chan Sung Jung aka 'The Korean Zombie'. Volkanovski will be looking to defend his throne for the third time, while Jung is finally set to get a championship opportunity almost nine years after his first attempt at featherweight gold.

The Volkanovski vs. 'The Korean Zombie' matchup comes as a breath of fresh air after all the drama-filled headliners in the three previous UFC pay-per-views. There's absolutely no animosity or storyline behind this title fight, making it a pure clash of skills. More often than not, when two fighters familiar with one another lock horns, it's a tetchy affair considering their knowledge of each other's arsenal and tendencies.

At UFC 270 in January, a lot was made of the fact that Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane trained together in the past and used to have the same coach. February's UFC 271 was headlined by a rematch between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, which was never going to live up to the first fight between the middleweight duo.

The Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal grudge match at UFC 272 was more of a soap opera used to cover up an incredibly uneven stylistic matchup.

Both Alexander Volkanovski and 'The Korean Zombie' are respectful competitors. For Volkanovski, this comes as a fresh challenge after back-to-back bouts with Max Holloway and a stint on The Ultimate Fighter opposite Brian Ortega.

'The Great' has vowed to rule the division for a long time. He has a wily veteran in front of him, whose toughness will bring the best out of the Australian titleholder at UFC 273.

Watch the preview for the UFC 273 main event below: