Sport
UFC 273 preview: The Korean Zombie out to shock Volkanovski
The treats for MMA fans keep on coming in 2022. This Saturday’s UFC 273 will see featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski defend his title against fan favourite Chan Sung Jung, The Korean Zombie.
To add to that, we also get to witness the phenomenal Khamzat Chimaev’s first foray into top 10 competition. We preview the best of the action below.
Volkanovski’s reign to continue?
Alexander Volkanovski surprised many when he took the featherweight belt from Max Holloway in December 2019, but he will have had few doubters since. Holloway had looked unstoppable prior to meeting the Australian, but Volkanovski had answers for everything he threw at him. The rematch was closer to call, but as the old adage goes, you have to take the belt from the champ.
Brian Ortega was next in line to test Volkanovski’s resolve and only ended up solidifying his position as the featherweight division’s chief punishment taker. After that it looked like the only option left for Volkanovski was to wrap up the trilogy with Holloway, but an injury put an end to that dream. In the wake of that cancellation a new path opened up, and the UFC’s very own Zombie stepped up to the plate – Chan Sung Jung.
All-out wars, last-second stoppages, three Performance of the Night bonuses, two Submission of the Night bonuses, one KO of the Night bonus and one title fight… Chan Sung Jung is the definition of a cult hero and now has the chance to solidify his status with UFC gold. It may not be the Holloway trilogy, but this is a fight for the fans.
Volkanovski is the clear favourite for victory at 1/8, with The Korean Zombie priced at 5/1. But if you’re looking for more value, Volkanovski to win By KO/TKO/DQ is now at an enhanced price of 5/2 with William Hill – boosted from 2/1 – and could be the way to go.
Khamzat Chimaev set to impress again?
Another title fight between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling co-headlines the event, but a different fight is capturing the imagination of the public. This will be Khamzat Chimaev’s first real test since storming onto the scene and going on an unprecedented run, winning a record three UFC fights in two months. Now in his sights is ex-title challenger and #2 ranked welterweight Gilbert Burns.
Chimaev is on the brink of superstar status in MMA, but he needs wins against ranked opponents to really solidify his name amongst the challengers. So far Li Jingliang is the only top 15 opponent he has faced, and he moved through that opponent in the first round. What’s more, in just four fights Chimaev has secured three Performance of the Night bonuses. So far, he has made everything look too easy.
Chimaev is the 1/6 odds-on favourite to continue his run and is 3/1 to finish the fight in round two or 8/1 for a third-round stoppage.
Fans are excited about Chimaev as he seems like the heir-apparent to Khabib Nurmagomedov. He looks like he’s on a different level to his opponents and seems too strong to be a welterweight, which is exactly why he needs this fight. A win for Burns and the hype-train is derailed. Another Chimaev victory and even Kamaru Usman will be on alert.
Burns has yo-yoed between weight-classes with mixed results, but has seen off some big names along the way, racking up wins against Gunnar Nelson, Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson and ex-champion Tyron Woodley. Two Performance of the Night bonuses led to a title shot against Usman, and although ultimately coming up short, Burns looks like a legitimate welterweight challenger.
A BJJ black-belt with power in his hands (30% KO rate), Burns can offer you trouble wherever you go. This is exactly the sort of challenge Khamzat has needed, and now he’s got it. Burns is 4/1 for a victory and 9/1 to finish the fight by submission.
