The UFC is returning to Florida with a loaded card.
UFC 273 will feature Alexander Volkanovski, featherweight champion, and Chan Sung Jung (The Korean Zombie) at VyStar Veteran Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling fights interim champion Petr Yan in a rematch of their controversial UFC 259 encounter.
The updated UFC 273 lineup and location were officially announced on Saturday’s UFC Vegas 47 broadcast.
Volkanovski — No. 1 at 145 pounds in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings — goes for the third defense of his UFC title. He had been scheduled to face Max Holloway at UFC 272,, but Holloway injured his knee and he was forced to withdraw. The fight was then moved to UFC 273. Holloway was replaced by Jung (7). Holloway is reportedly now fully recovered and will weigh in for the main April 9 event.
This will be Jung’s second shot at the featherweight championship. Jung also took short notice to replace Anthony Pettis and Jose Aldo at UFC . Jung was defeated by Aldo in the fourth round.
Sterling (2) and Yan (1) first fought in March 2021. The bout was ended by controversy after Yan dropped an illegal knee to Sterling during the fourth round. Yan lost his bantamweight title. Yan has since defeated Cory Sandhagen for an interim championship, while UFC 273 marks Sterling’s first fight since UFC 259 as he returns from neck surgery.
See the UFC 273 updated lineup below. Numbers in parentheses signify MMA Fighting Global Ranking ):
Alexander Volkanovski (1) vs. Chan Sung Jung (7)
Aljamain Sterling (2) vs. Petr Yan (1)
Mackenzie Dern (5) vs. Tecia Torres (7)
Kelvin Gastelum (14) vs. Nassourdine Imavov
Ian Garry vs. Darian Weeks
Irene Aldana (5) vs. Aspen Ladd
Mickey Gall and Mike Malott
Jairzinho Rozenstruik (7) vs. Marcin Tybura (11)
