KEY POINTS

  • Alexander Volkanovski is still the most dangerous featherweight fighter in the world
  • Aljamain Sterling wins against Petr Yan in the rematch by way of split decision
  • Khamzat Chimaev undergoes stern test at the hands of Gilbert Burns

The UFC pulled off another sensational event in Jacksonville, Florida with UFC 273.

As expected, the three final bouts on the main card did not fail to deliver, and below are the main takeaways from the thrilling event.

Volkanovski Tightens Grip On Featherweight Throne

Reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his title against Chan Sung Jung in the UFC 273’s headliner.

The pair went toe-to-toe in a relentless standup war that saw Volkanovski stopping “The Korean Zombie” in the fourth round via TKO.

The challenger displayed his durability, but his game could be summed up by the old saying, “hands down, man down” as he evidently let his guard down for the most part.

Volkanovski capitalized on Jung’s poor defense and unloaded a flurry of combinations, which prompted Herb Dean to stop the fight.

    The TKO win over Jung was Volkanovski’s first title defense victory by way of a finish.

    Sterling-Yan Rematch Still Leaves Unanswered Questions

    Bantamweight rivals Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan tried to settle the score in their highly-anticipated title fight rematch in the co-main event.

    The fight went the distance and the reigning champion Sterling copped the narrow split decision victory over Yan.

    Unsurprisingly, Sterling’s win was deemed by many as another controversial win as even UFC president Dana White saw Yan winning on his own scorecard.

    All three judges saw the second and third rounds being won by Sterling, while the fourth and final rounds belonged to Yan.

    The opening round was the tiebreaker and only one judge gave the nod to the Russian fighter.

    Aljamain Sterling (R) and Petr Yan have resumed their trash talk on social media
    Aljamain Sterling (R) and Petr Yan have resumed their trash talk on social media @UFC on Twitter

    Chimaev Proves Worth Against Ranked Welterweight

    Breakout star Khamzat Chimaev faced his toughest opponent in Gilbert Burns.

    Contrary to what some expected, “Borz"--who has taken out all his past three opponents in the opening round--failed to do so this time against the Brazilian.

    Chimaev scored a knockdown in the first round and attempted to go for the finish, but Burns managed to get back up to his feet.

    The pair went on and traded blows until the final bell rang.

    While “Durinho” outpointed Chimaev in total and significant strikes landed, the knockdown and two successful takedowns saw “Borz” winning via unanimous decision.

      Khamzat Chimaev
      Khamzat Chimaev getting his hand raised after beating Gerald Meerschaert in their UFC Fight Night bout in 2020. Getty Images/Zuffa/LLC

      See other UFC 273 fight results below:

      • Mackenzie Dern def. Tecia Torres via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
      • Mark Madsen def. Vinc Pichel via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
      • Ian Garry def. Darian Weeks via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
      • Anthony Hernandez def. Josh Fremd via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
      • Raquel Pennington def. Aspen Ladd via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
      • Mike Malott def. Mickey Gall via first-round TKO (punches)
      • Aleksei Oleinik def. Jared Vanderaa via first-round submission (neck crank)
      • Piera Rodriguez def. Kay Hansen via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
      • Julio Arce def. Daniel Santos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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