Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC 273, the featherweight title is on the line. The champion Alexander Volkanovski (23-1) will look to defend his title for the third time as he takes on “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (17-6).
Last time we saw Volkanovski was at UFC 266 when he defended his title against Brian Ortega. Volkanovski made a massive statement with his one-sided domination of T-City. Originally, Volkanovski was supposed to have his trilogy fight with Max Holloway tomorrow night.
However, when Holloway pulled out with an injury, The Korean Zombie stepped in. Last time we saw Chan Sung Jung was last June when he headlined a Fight Night against Dan Ige.
That headliner came on the heels of his loss to Brian Ortega. TKZ looked sharp and was able to pick up the unanimous decision victory. Overall, Jung is 3-1 in his last four fights leading up to UFC 273.
UFC 273 Prediction
This is a matchup that fans have wanted to see for some time and it’s easy to see why. Chan Sung Jung has an exciting striking style that can bring unique challenges to the champion and provide a thrilling fight at UFC 273.
I’m expecting TKZ to fight with a lot of pressure to try and make the champion feel uncomfortable. However, at this stage in the game, I don’t think there’s much that can throw off Alexander Volkanovski.
TKZ is going to have his moments and I think there will be spots where he lands big shots. However, I’m not sure he is the man to dethrone the UFC’s featherweight champion. One thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is the Fight IQ of Volkanovski.
Even if Jung has success early, it’s on him to sustain that success and not allow Volkanovski to change things up. Volkanovski has shown the ability to change things up on the fly to get the job done.
Overall, I like the efficiency and the well-roundedness of Volkanovski tomorrow night. I’m expecting a good fight, but when the cards are read at UFC 273, it’ll be a clear decision for the champion.
Prediction: Alexander Volkanovski by Unanimous Decision