After a week’s hiatus, the UFC returns with an exciting card at the Jacksonville Arena for UFC 273. There will be two title bouts on the line: the first will be in the co-main event, which is a must-needed title rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan. And the second title bout will be in the main event with “The Great” Alexander Volkanovski defending his title against the Korean Zombie.
Read below for my UFC picks for the co-main and main events.
Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan
UFC Bantamweight Title Bout Co-Main Event
Saturday, April 9, 2022 – 07:00 PM EDT at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling is an American mixed martial artist who is the current Champion of the UFC Bantamweight division. He holds a professional record of 20 wins (2 T/KO, 8 Submissions, 9 Decisions, 1 DQ) and 3 losses (1 T/KO, 2 Decisions).
Funk Master is a well-rounded martial artist, but his best skills are on the ground – as you can tell from his 8 submission victories and a black belt in Matt Serra BJJ.
In Sterling’s first title defense, his path to victory should be on the ground and also his ability to survive the heat that is going to be coming from Yan.
Petr Yan
Petr “No Mercy” Yan is a Russian mixed martial artist who is the former UFC Bantamweight Champion and current Interim UFC Bantamweight Champion. He holds a professional record of 16 wins (7 T/KO, 1 Submission, 8 Decisions) and 2 losses (1 Decision, 1 DQ).
No Mercy’s striking is suffocating. He strikes in very high volumes while still maintaining precise accuracy. Another impressive trait of his is his conditioning – you can compare him to an energizer bunny because the man’s batteries seem to never drain.
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For Yan to gain back his title, he will need to be more patient and accurate with his striking. He knows there will be a lot of eyes on him Saturday night, so his already high fight IQ will be even sharper.
Fight Prediction
The current UFC odds are Aljamain Sterling +370 and Petr Yan -470 at your top-rated sportsbooks from Bookmakers Review.
This is definitely a ‘must-see’ bout because of how their previous title bout played out. As a quick refresher, Petr Yan landed an illegal knee to the side of Aljamain Sterling’s head, therefore being disqualified and handing his title over to Sterling.
This Saturday night, things will play out very differently. Yan will have in his mind that he needs to remain precise and legal with his striking. In their last meeting, Sterling was successful whenever he swarmed Yan with his strikes. However, the real question should be: can Sterling keep up that high, swarming pace for 5 rounds? The answer is most likely no.
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Petr Yan, on the other hand, can. He is going to hold a high pace in striking and will be able to keep control of the pace. The deeper into the rounds they go, the more Sterling’s tank will drain. In my eyes, that means a lack of keeping his hands up and leaving openings for Yan to beat on him and give him his second T/KO loss.
UFC Pick: Petr Yan to Win Inside the Distance (+140) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung
UFC Featherweight Title Bout Main Event
Saturday, April 9, 2022 - 07:00 PM EDT at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander “the Great” Volkanovski is an Australian mixed martial artist who is the current UFC Featherweight Champion and is ranked #3 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. He holds a professional record of 23 wins (11 T/KO, 3 Submissions, 9 Decisions) and 1 Loss (1 T/KO).
Volkanovski is a well-rounded martial artist with a high striking output. He is an aggressive, agile fighter that is light on his feet. He’s also not afraid to absorb a hit.
Chan Sung Jung
Chan Sung Jung, aka “The Korean Zombie”, is a Korean mixed martial artist currently ranked #4 in the UFC Featherweight division. He holds a professional record of 17 wins (6 T/KO, 8 Submissions, 3 Decisions) and 6 losses (3 T/KO, 3 Decisions).
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The Korean Zombie is a well-rounded martial artist as well, however, his striking volume is definitely not as high as Volkanovski’s. His jab is still a nasty jab, though, and is best at countering.
Fight Prediction
The current UFC odds for this main event are Alexander Volkanovski -800 and Chan Sung Jung +500 at BMR's top-rated sportsbooks. The odds speak for themselves - Alexander Volkanoski’s technicality, speed, and conditioning are elite.
The fact that TKZ has a low output in striking and will often rely on his countering worries me against Volkanovski. Volkanovski’s output is so high, and his movement around the cage will make it difficult for TKZ to land a strike.
For me, TKZ’s possible path to victory could be on the ground. But even then, Volkanovski is so skilled and agile that I don’t see him losing control of this fight. Volkanovski’s fight IQ is sharp; that combined with his technical skills will give him the chance to find the right opening to clip TKZ and finish this bout inside the distance. Find the value in the MMA props.
UFC Pick: Alexander Volkanovski to Win Inside the Distance (+160) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
