The lineup is ready for subsequent week’s UFC return to Florida, and the pay-per-view has a pair of title fights atop the invoice.
UFC 273 takes place April 9 at Vystar Veterans Memorial Enviornment in Jacksonville, Fla. The principle card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
In the primary occasion, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (23-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) places his title on the road in opposition to former title challenger Chan Sung Jung (17-6 MMA, 7-3 UFC), higher often called “The Korean Zombie.”
Within the co-feature, bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling (20-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) takes on former champ and interim titleholder Petr Yan (16-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in a title rematch. Sterling received the belt in opposition to Yan in a controversial disqualification in March 2021.
The UFC has a uncommon six fights on the primary card with 4 different bouts becoming a member of the title fights.
Dive into the occasion beneath.
Featherweight title struggle: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung
Sep 25, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alexander Volkanovski is launched earlier than combating Brian Ortega throughout UFC 266 at T-Cellular Enviornment. Necessary Credit score: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports activities
Volkanovski has but to lose within the UFC. In truth, the 33-year-old Australian hasn’t misplaced in almost 9 years general. He took the featherweight title with a unanimous choice win over Max Holloway in December 2019. He beat him by break up name in July 2020 of their rematch. Then he dominated Brian Ortega in September 2021. Volkanovski and Holloway have been alleged to struggle for a 3rd time earlier this month, however a Holloway harm took him out of the struggle and “The Korean Zombie” obtained the decision.
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 18: (R-L) ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung battles Brian Ortega of their featherweight bout through the UFC Combat Evening occasion inside Flash Discussion board on UFC Combat Island on October 18, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photograph by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC by way of Getty Pictures)
Jung will get his newest title shot with three wins in his previous 4 fights. He knocked out Renato Moicano and former light-weight champ Frankie Edgar within the first spherical in 2019. Every of these KOs earned him an additional $50,000 in bonus cash. After a loss to Ortega, the “Zombie” bounced again in June 2021 with a unanimous choice over Dan Ige.
Bantamweight title struggle: Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan
Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling
Sterling received the bantamweight title when Yan hit him with an unlawful knee within the fourth spherical in March 2021 and Sterling was unable to proceed. Sterling had gotten his title shot in opposition to Yan on the power of 5 straight wins, together with a first-round submission of Cory Sandhagen. His rematch with Yan can be his first title protection and first bout because the DQ win of their first struggle.
When Sterling couldn’t struggle of their scheduled rematch this previous October, Yan fought Sandhagen, as a substitute, in an interim title bout and took a unanimous choice to bounce again from his first loss in almost 5 years.
Welterweight major card struggle: Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Gilbert Burns (20-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) has the unenviable process of attempting to be the primary one to cease Khamzat Chimaev (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC). Burns challenged welterweight champion Kamaru Usman for the title in February 2021 and was knocked out within the third spherical. He bounced again with a win over former title challenger Stephen Thompson at UFC 264.
Chimaev has been relentless in his first 4 UFC fights. He has all 4 of his wins within the promotion by stoppage, and all 4 have earned him $50,000 Efficiency of the Evening bonuses. He’s coming off a first-round submission of Jingliang Li this previous October after a 13-month layoff whereas he recovered from COVID-19 results.
Ladies’s strawweight major card struggle: Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres
Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres
Mackenzie Dern (11-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) takes on Tecia Torres (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in a key ladies’s struggle at 115 kilos. Dern can be seeking to get again on monitor after a call loss to Marina Rodriguez this previous October. That setback snapped a four-fight successful streak that had her in title competition. Three of these wins have been first-round finishes.
Towards Torres, she meets a resurgent opponent who was on the ropes with 4 straight choice losses to former champions Jessica Andrade, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili, plus Rodriguez. However since June 202, she has bounced again with three wins in a row over Brianna Fortino, Sam Hughes and Angela Hill.
Heavyweight major card struggle: Ilir Latifi vs. Aleksei Oleinik
Ilir Latifi vs. Aleksei Oleinik
The struggle between Ilir Latifi (15-8 MMA, 8-6 UFC) and Aleksei Oleinik (59-16-1 MMA, 8-7 UFC) was rebooked for UFC 273 after it was scrapped simply hours earlier than the fighters have been alleged to step into the cage at UFC on ESPN 33 in Columbus, Ohio. A Latifi sickness on struggle day compelled it to be rescheduled.
Latifi obtained again within the win column after a three-fight skid with a break up choice over Tanner Boser in June 2021. Oleinik has misplaced three straight for the primary time in his prolonged profession.
Middleweight major card struggle: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Jul 10, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Dricus du Plessis celebrates his knockout victory in opposition to Trevin Giles throughout UFC 264 at T-Cellular Enviornment. Necessary Credit score: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports activities
Dricus Du Plessis (16-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will step in on quick discover to tackle former title challenger Kelvin Gastelum (17-8 MMA, 11-8 UFC). Gastelum stayed on the cardboard after his authentic opponent, Nassourdine Imavov, pulled out this week.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 21: (L-R) Kelvin Gastelum punches Jared Cannonier in a middleweight struggle through the UFC Combat Evening occasion at UFC APEX on August 21, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Gastelum has been on a tough run. He has dropped 5 of his previous six fights, however they’ve come in opposition to nothing however the high fighters at middleweight: present champ Israel Adesanya, Darren Until, Jack Hermansson, former champ Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier. Earlier than his present two-fight skid to Whittaker and Cannonier, he snapped a three-fight skid with a February 2021 win over Ian Heinisch.
Du Plessis, a 28-year-old prospect from South Africa, has finishes in each his UFC fights up to now. He knocked out Markus Perez within the first spherical in October 2020, then completed Trevin Giles with a second-round TKO in July 2021.
ESPN Prelims
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 16: (L-R) Aspen Ladd punches Norma Dumont of Brazil in a featherweight struggle through the UFC Combat Evening occasion at UFC APEX on October 16, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
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Aspen Ladd vs. Raquel Pennington
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Ian Garry vs. Darian Weeks
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Josh Fremd vs. Anthony Hernandez
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Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Marcin Tybura
ESPN+ Early Prelims
Mickey Gall vs. Mike Malott
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
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Mickey Gall vs. Mike Malott
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Julio Arce vs. Daniel Santos
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Mark Madsen vs. Vinc Pichel
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Kay Hansen vs. Piera Rodriguez
Key betting odds
Khamzat Chimaev
The highest three fights on the primary card all characteristic heavy favorites. In the primary occasion, featherweight champ Volkanovski is a -800 favourite at Tipico; the comeback on challenger Jung is +470.
Within the bantamweight title rematch, former champion and present interim champ Yan is a -500 favourite in opposition to Sterling, who’s +340. That makes Yan much more of a favourite this time round than their first bout, wherein he closed round -400.
Chimaev is a -600 favourite in opposition to former welterweight title challenger Burns. However that’s previous hat for Chimaev, who has been that large of a favourite or extra in his first 4 UFC fights – all of which have been bonus-winning finishes.
Gastelum is a -160 favourite in opposition to Du Plessis, who’s a light underdog at +125. The struggle between Dern and Torres almost is a decide’em with Dern at -115 and Torres -110. And of their rescheduled struggle, Latifi is a -230 favourite in opposition to the +175 Oleinik – about the identical as they have been earlier than their UFC on ESPN 33 bout was scrapped the day of the occasion 5 days in the past.
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