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The main event of UFC 273 sees Alex Volkanovski defend his featherweight title against Chan Sung Jung, AKA The Korean Zombie. Max Holloway was supposed to fight the Australian champion but an injury forced him out of the event. In steps The Korean Zombie and we now have a fresh matchup for a title fight at featherweight. The fight is a very interesting one as Volkanovski brings his pressure and well-rounded game whilst Jung brings his sneaky power and excellent kickboxing. The overwhelming favorite is the Australian but the fight is much closer on paper than the odds give it credit for.
Alex Volkanovski is quickly turning into one of the best champions in the UFC and is building quite the resume at featherweight. Volkanovski was tested both mentally and physically against Brian Ortega and he proved he can weather the storm. The Australian was originally known for his wrestling but his striking has quickly been improving and it showed when he dominated Max Holloway in their first fight. He's currently in his prime and is building an excellent resume so far. He has yet to score a finish as champion and will be looking to change that when he faces The Korean Zombie.
Chan Sung Jung has looked excellent since coming back from a long hiatus due to mandatory military service in South Korea. His power has been a big problem for most of his opponents and he has scored some big wins over Frankie Edgar and Dan Ige. He'll be hoping to use his excellent uppercut to catch Alex Volkanovski and prove that he is one of the best in the weight class. The Korean Zombie has sneaky submissions and holds a well-rounded game. His loss against Brian Ortega was a huge problem and many questioned just where he stood at featherweight. He bounced back against Ige and will look to show he is capable of becoming the first Asian UFC champion.
Here are the UFC 273 odds, featuring our Volkanovski-Zombie prediction, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 273 Odds: Volkanovski-Zombie Odds
Alex Volkanovski (-770)
The Korean Zombie (+540)
Over 4.5 rounds (-160)
Under 4.5 rounds (+126)
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How Alex Volkanovski Wins The Fight At UFC 273
Alex Volkanovski is a heavy favorite heading into the fight with The Korean Zombie and for good reason. The Korean fighter steps in on short notice to challenge for his second-ever title shot in the UFC. Volkanovski is undefeated in the UFC and has been on an elite run since becoming champion. He brings an excellent ground game but has not been using it since becoming champion. Volkanovski will be looking to pressure and use his trademark calf kicks to wear down Chan Sung Jung. If he takes too many heavy shots expect him to look to get the fight to the ground and smother TKZ. The champion has excellent cardio and will be comfortable taking the fight into deep waters. He's going to get hit a lot as he looks to cover the distance created by his longer and taller opponent. Volkanovski will take some big shots and the fight will naturally go to the ground in the later rounds. The Australian gets the TKO finish in the third round to keep his belt.
How The Korean Zombie Wins The Fight At UFC 273
Chan Sung Jung is a tricky striker with plenty of weapons in his arsenal. His biggest weapon is going to be his uppercut, something Alex Volkanovski tends to get hit with often. He has submissions if the fight goes to the ground but it's best for him to keep things standing. He has a big reach advantage and he'll need to use it in order to win the fight. His power means the Australian will be careful not to get reckless and lunge in blindly. Checking kicks and looking for counter-uppercuts is the key for TKZ to win this fight. Volkanovski tends to absorb many strikes and that's going to play right into the Korean's game. There's a clear path to victory for the challenger and it's with a big counter uppercut to end the night early by knockout.
Final Volkanovski-Zombie Prediction & Pick
The two men bring a very exciting style into UFC 273 and that's going to show in the main event. Expect both men to have their moments and even a few scary opportunities throughout the fight. TKZ will have his big power and Volkanovski will have his wrestling. The champion will start off the fight slowly and look to land a few calf kicks while figuring out the distance. The first round should be a little bit slow but the second round is where the feeling-out process should end. The power is The Korean Zombie is going to force the Australian to turn to his wrestling and look to grind him out. The finish should come for the champion in the third or fourth round as he starts to tire out the Korean fighter.
Final Volkanovski-Zombie Pick: Alex Volkanovski wins by knockout in the third round.
