We’re merely a few days into April, and we’re just around the corner from enjoying the fourth pay-per-view event of the year. UFC 273 is slated to be an absolutely crazy card, with two championship titles on the line and a number of great fights scattered across the Early Prelim and Prelim cards.
Catch the event live on ESPN+ and you can sign up here.
Here are three reasons why you shouldn’t miss this weekend’s card:
Sterling vs. Yan – the highly anticipated sequel
A little over a year ago, Aljamain Sterling was crowned the UFC Bantamweight champion due to a massively illegal knee used by Petr Yan. While the knee itself left fans with a bitter taste in their mouths, another set of fans hasn’t taken Sterling’s post-fight attitude. The current champ rejected the crowing of his new belt due to the way “Funk Master” won it – but mere hours later, he was seen all over social media celebrating the belt.
Since that unfortunate bout, fans all over have been torn on how this long-awaited rematch will end — especially since UFC doctors reportedly did not medically clear Sterling to defend his belt last October. This Saturday, we’ll find out who the real champion is once and for all.
Chimaev vs the #2 contender
11th ranked Khamzat Chimaev is jumping straight to fighting the number 2 contender Gilbert Burns. The Chechnyan-born superstar is currently running a 10-0 clean record, and fans believe it’s about time to face a worthy adversary.
On the other hand, Burns clocked in his 20th win after a three-round slugfest against Stephen Thompson last July. Would Burns show Chimaev that the top five are such for a reason, or will “Borz” rocket into belt contention? The UFC betting markets sure would be going crazy over this one!
Asia might get their second-ever UFC champion
Love or hate this match-up, you can’t deny that the upcoming main event bout between Alexander Volkanovski and The Korean Zombie will be an absolute banger. The title of first-ever Asian UFC champion was won by Zhang Weili back in 2019, and now The Korean Zombie has the opportunity to bring back gold to the region.
Fans all over the internet are absolutely torn on this one. On the one hand, Volkanovski is a well-beloved champion, while on the other, The Korean Zombie is a well-loved contender. No matter how the fight ends on Saturday, there will be an upset.
UFC 273’s main card starts at 10 PM EST and is available for purchase on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+.
