UFC 273 Betting Guide

UFC 273: Volkanovski vs Korean Zombie – 4.9.2021 – Fight Predictions and Analysis

Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC 273: Volkanovski vs The Korean Zombie. After a weekend away from action, the world combat leader is back in Florida for one of the best pay-per-view events this year. Our analysis includes a pick for every bout from Dynes Sports contributors Anthony Marro and Nicholas Marro.

As coverage continues, we will keep our records up to date below. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick though as records will not reflect confidence. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few.

Current Record

Anthony: 80-42-0 (Last Year 299-200-5)
Nick: 83-39-0 (Last Year 305-194-5)

*Fight odds were last updated 4-8-2022 at 11pm EST

Early Prelims- Start 6:30pm EST

Julio Arce -180 vs Daniel Santos +150

Anthony: Our opens today with a bantamweight fight between Julio Arce and Daniel Santos. This is the UFC debut for Santos who has had a rather long hiatus since last in action. The nickname Willycat fits given his extremely aggressive style of fighting. He is a striker often rushing into exchanges with opponents and trusting his power to get the job done. I expect to see a lot of unorthodox strikes from him including a lot of spinning attacks. While his style could certainly lead to a flashy finish here, I think Arce is rightfully favored given his more technical approach. He is sound defensively and fought much tougher competition than this over the course of his UFC tenure. The cut was an issue for Arce who drained himself until the final minute of weigh-ins only to end up a half pound over the bantamweight limit. I think he gets the job done here but do not feel confident enough to bet on him. Santos’ volatility, the wide odds and a botched weight cut make this bout a pass for me. Julio Arce by Decision
Nick: Daniel Santos is a highly regarded prospect, but we haven’t seen him in action since 2019. He’ll be making his UFC debut here as a moderate underdog against an underrated bantamweight in Julio Arce. Santos is extremely aggressive on the feet. He throws a wide range of spinning attacks and he’s not afraid to rush in to pressure his opponents. Arce is very quick in exchanges. He has impressive technical ability on the feet and he defends an impressive 67 percent of the strikes thrown against him. He has notable wins over the likes of Dan Ige and Julian Erosa. He’s coming off an ugly knockout loss to Song Yadong, but many consider Song to be one of the division’s best prospects. Arce works well behind his jab. He’s going to have a technical advantage on the feet here and I expect his experience to shine through over the course of three rounds. Santos will be dangerous early, but I see Arce as having many more paths to victory in this one. Julio Arce by Round Three KO

Piera Rodriguez -130 vs Kay Hansen +100

Anthony: Next is a fight at women’s strawweight between Kay Hansen and Piera Rodriguez. Hansen was heavy on the scales yesterday coming in 2.5 pounds over the limit. She was unsuccessful in a move to flyweight this January and has now lost two consecutive bouts as a sizeable favorite. Her wrestling and grappling is technically sound but she does not have the strength to find success implementing a takedown heavy approach at the UFC level. Rodriguez is an undefeated prospect who debuts here today after a great fight on Dana White’s Contender Series last fall. She is a much better striker than Hansen with great movement, heavy hands and well-timed counters. I worry about her a bit in the grappling exchanges here but I think we see Rodriguez light up Hansen on the feet. The first half of her camp was spent training at Allstars in Sweden with the likes of Khamzat Chimaev and coach Andreas Michael. She is a capable finisher and I think Hansen will be wearing a lot of damage at the end of this fight. While this is certainly a close matchup, at near even odds this was an easy bet for me to make. Piera Rodriguez by Round Three KO
Nick: Hansen is primarily a grappler. She has a very strong wrestling base and does a good job finding submissions from a variety of positions. She’s only a purple belt in BJJ, but she studies under Eddie Bravo so her jiu jitsu is already quite advanced in spite of her ranking. Her striking is still a work in progress, but it’s been improving every single time we’ve seen her fight. The one major knock on her lately has been her Fight IQ. She doesn’t always lean on her grappling in the spots which she should. We’ve seen her fall to mediocre opposition such as Jasmine Jasudavicius and Cory McKenna, fights she likely could have won had she chosen to execute a more grappling heavy gameplan. Piera Rodriguez will be making her UFC debut here, coming off a solid Contender Series win over a tough out in Valesca Machado. Rodriguez is a tough and gritty fighter who does her best work when she can push forward and pressure her opponents. Hansen is the superior grappler here, but I expect Rodriguez can mostly keep her on her back foot with her aggressive striking style. As long as she can get back to her feet if Hansen grounds her, she should dominate the striking exchanges. Another reason to fade Hansen here is that she missed weight for this fight. She looked upset on the scales and there are a lot of questions surrounding if she’s been making any improvements between fights. Considering this is a low-level matchup I don’t want to overinvest in either side here. However, I’ll regain the momentum of the debuting fighter. Piera Rodriguez by Decision

Jared Vanderaa -120 vs Aleksei Oleinik -110

Anthony: Here we have a heavyweight fight between Aleksei Oleinik and Jared Vanderaa. Oleinik is a legend of the sport and somebody I have been a fan of for a very long time. He has experienced a sharp decline as of late losing his last three fights. At the age of 44 it is no surprise The Boa Constrictor is slowing down. However, if he is ever going to get his 60^th professional win I think this is the matchup to do so. Vanderaa is a mere 12-7 overall and 1-3 since joining the UFC. He is a big heavyweight but one that lacks much punching power, usually relying more on pressure and volume to get his hand raised. Serghei Spivac and Alexander Romanov were able to make quick work of him on the mat in the past year. Grappling is a clear deficiency of his and I see Oleinik’s experience shining through here if successful securing a takedown or pulling guard against Vanderaa. This is also a fight Vanderaa is taking on just two weeks’ notice after Oleinik’s original opponent Ilir Latifi withdrew. Durability is certainly a concern but at even odds I will take a shot backing Oleinik one more time today. Aleksei Oleinik by Round One Submission
Nick: For the first time in his career, Oleinik is coming off three consecutive losses. There’s a good chance he’ll be cut from the roster if he falls again in this spot. He’s an extremely talented grappler with outstanding BJJ, with forty-six of his fifty-nine professional wins coming via submission. Jared Vanderaa, taking this fight on short notice, throws looping shots and he leaves himself open to counters. He does a good job pushing a pace and he throws fairly high volume, but defensively he leaves a lot to be desired. Vanderaa does have decent wrestling ability for a heavyweight, but he really only has success if he finds himself in top position. This is a low confidence pick, but I’m siding with Oleinik here. I expect he manages to find a submission on Vanderaa early. If he doesn’t, Vanderaa is certainly live for the upset here, but there’s really nothing about Vanderaa that has me eager to back him. This is a low confidence play considering Oleinik’s age, but he is the pick. Aleksei Oleinik by Round One Submission

Preliminary Card- Starts 8:00pm EST

Mike Malott -185 vs Mickey Gall +155

Anthony: The preliminary card opens with a welterweight fight between Mike Malott and Mickey Gall. This is the UFC debut for Malott who had an impressive win on Dana White’s Contender Series last October. He was able to secure a guillotine choke inside the first minute of that bout. He is a high-level grappler and longtime coach at Team Alpha Male, but Malott also has rather underrated kickboxing. It is a strange matchup with Gall who is very similar in terms of offensive grappling prowess, often looking to engage on the mat himself. I believe the difference in this fight will be the hand speed, accuracy and power of Malott. We have yet to see any drastic improvements in Gall’s standup ability. Malott has poor striking defense but Gall is not the type of opponent to really make him pay. The only path to victory I see for Gall is through his grappling, but I trust the defensive awareness of Malott to stay out of danger. The wins that Gall has accrued are not over UFC caliber competition and while these odds do feel wide, I think Malott finds a way to get his hand raised here this evening. Mike Malott by Decision
Nick: Mickey Gall is well-rounded, but most would consider him a one-trick pony. His striking is below average compared to other UFC level fighters, but he has decent enough grappling to squeeze out the occasional victory by submission. Gall has never really shown an ability to consistently perform at a top level. While he has certainly improved, he seems to be serving as a gatekeeper in this match-up. Mike Malott will be making his UFC debut here, coming off an impressive Contender Series win via submission over Shimon Smotrisk. A finish which came just 39 seconds into the first round. Malott has been a coach at American Top Team for years, but he only recently began re-engaging in professional competition. He’s going to have a striking advantage offensively in this match-up, but his defense leaves a lot to be desired. Another major knock on him is that we haven’t really seen his cardio tested. All of his recent wins have come early in the first round. This is a tough fight to call as I’m really not too high on either of these fighters. That being said, I prefer the value of the underdog. I expect Malott to look explosive early, but it’s very rare Gall is even finished. As long as his durability holds up, I expect he’ll be able to weaponize his cardio and take this over as the fight wears on. Mickey Gall by Decision

Raquel Pennington -180 vs Aspen Ladd +150

Anthony: Next is a women’s bantamweight bout between Raquel Pennington and Aspen Ladd. This is a fight that came together on short notice after Ladd’s original opponent Irene Aldana was forced to withdraw. Both ladies made weight just fine, a pleasant surprise after the history of issues Ladd has experienced on the scales. I would hardly consider her in a matchup like this if not for the successful cut and softer draw she is getting. Pennington has had a resurgence of late winning three consecutive bouts, but the competition has really been mediocre. She should hold the advantage on the feet with superior striking defense and a better clinch game, but I expect takedowns to dictate the action in this fight. Getting Ladd as such a sizable underdog is appealing to me as she will likely be the one searching for top position here. Her only losses have come in five round contests. It should be a very close fight and I think she can do enough to sway the judge’s scorecards. Aspen Ladd by Decision
Nick: Pennington does a good job keeping consistent pressure on her opponents. She strikes best in close and grinds her opponents up against the cage, nullifying their offensive abilities. Ladd has excellent top pressure and ground and pound and she’s known as one of the more talented grapplers in this division. She seemed to have no problems making weight for this fight, which was a major concern as she’s recently missed on multiple occasions. Aspen Ladd was once touted as a future title contender, but she’s been struggling to build any momentum. Ladd has found most of her success grappling and controlling position against smaller opponents, but she’s not going to have that advantage here against Pennington. Pennington is a talented veteran who has only lost to championship level fighters. Ladd will have a wrestling advantage here, but Pennington is a competent grappler and she’s a much more dangerous striker on the feet. This isn’t my most confident play on this card, but I see the more well-rounded and experienced Pennington getting her hand raised by the end of this one. Raquel Pennington by Decision

Anthony Hernandez -190 vs Josh Fremd +155

Anthony: This is a matchup at middleweight between Anthony Hernandez and Josh Fremd. This was originally scheduled to be a bout between Hernandez and the very dangerous Dricus Du Plessis, but Hernandez agreed to this opponent change at the UFC’s request. He now draws a much easier opponent in the debuting Josh Fremd. Primarily fighting in LFA, the skillset for Fremd is actually pretty well refined. However, he has two very brutal losses on his record against Gregory Rodrigues and a 5-6 Robert Gidron. It was a single right hand from Rodrigues that sent Fremd face first to the mat, clearly exposing concerns with his chin. Hernandez has equitable power and could certainly take advantage of Fremd’s poor striking defense as well. He also holds a significant advantage if things are to hit the mat with six of his eight professional wins coming by way of submission. With his aggressive nature I do not recommend rushing to the window to bet Hernandez, but I think he gets an early finish here against the short notice opponent. He is coming off the best win of his career, beating undefeated Rodolfo Vieira by choke as a +375 underdog. Anthony Hernandez by Round One KO
Nick: Hernandez was highly touted coming into the UFC, but he’s struggled to build any true momentum. He’ll look to change that narrative here as he’s coming off a career best win over Rodolfo Vieira. A fight in which he managed to weaponize his cardio against one of the more decorated BJJ players on the roster. As a +375 underdog, he showed outstanding durability early in that fight, took advantage of Vieira’s waning gas tank and turned the tables entirely on him, scoring a massive win via submission of his own in the second round. Hernandez’s submission ability is certainly his greatest strength, but he’s also competent on the feet with two professional wins via knockout. Josh Fremd is stepping in on short notice here, coming off back-to-back wins on the regional scene. Like Hernandez, Fremd was once a highly regarded prospect. He was favored heavily to capture the LFA middleweight title over Gregory Rodrigues back in May of 2021, but he was caught clean with strikes and knocked out. Fremd is very tall, but he doesn’t use his range that well. He’s a powerful striker but defensively he leaves a lot to be desired. Hernandez should be able to hang on the feet here, but his clearest path to victory will be to take this fight to the mat. Six of his eight professional wins have come via submission and Fremd really hasn’t faced a grappler this dangerous professionally. The line feels a bit inflated, but I’m siding with Hernandez here. Anthony Hernandez by Round Two Submission

Ian Garry -370 vs Darian Weeks +295

Anthony: The featured prelim is a welterweight matchup between Ian Garry and Darian Weeks. We saw the debut of Ian Garry in the UFC last November as he secured a first-round knockout of Jordan Williams. He is an undefeated and highly regarded prospect coming from the Cage Warriors promotion. His striking is exceptional with great counters, very fast kicks and the ability to close distance in a blink. Garry ate a few clean shots in his debut but after settling in, demonstrated great patience and won with a step-in counter right hand. He is the far superior striker than Weeks who will likely be hunting for takedowns with desperation. These two men both went pro in 2019 but Garry has fought the far tougher competition and looked much better overall. It is hard to justify him being such a large favorite, but I certainly expect him to get his hand raised. We will likely see Garry completely outclass Weeks on the feet here tonight. Garry sprawls well and has solid jiu jitsu which should allow him to keep this fight standing without issue. This is a soft matchup to help further build the Irish prospect’s hype. Ian Garry by Round Two KO
Nick: Garry enters this fight as the former Cage Warriors welterweight champion. He’s still developing as a prospect as he’s only 8-0. However, he already seems to be very well rounded. His striking continues to improve, he has powerful hips, and enough power standing and ability on the mat to find success against a wide range of opponents. He’s coming off a solid win in his UFC debut over Jordan Williams, but his defense was suspect in that spot. He ate a lot of shots early from Williams, but he eventually ended him with a flawless step counter. Darian Weeks is fairly well-rounded, but like Garry he’s still far from developed. Weeks looked decent in his UFC debut, a decision loss to Bryan Barberena, but that was a chaotic brawl and anything but technical. Weeks is going to have a wrestling advantage here, but Garry’s BJJ and scrambling is advanced enough that he should be able to work his way back to his feet if he’s grounded. The line is too wide on this one, but there’s no denying the UFC is looking to build on Garry’s hype in this spot. They see him as a marketable young fighter and he’s a much more technical fighter than Weeks. Weeks has a chance here if he can make this an ugly and boring scrap, but Garry should be too much for him in terms of overall ability. As long as he can keep this fight mostly on the feet, his advanced boxing ability should shine through. Ian Garry by Round Two KO

Main Card- Starts 10:00pm EST

Vinc Pichel -115 vs Mark Madsen -115

Anthony: The main card opens with a matchup at lightweight between Vinc Pichel and Mark O. Madsen. It makes sense that this fight was elevated to the pay-per-view as I am expecting a very exciting performance. Madsen is perfect 11-0 as a professional. He competed in the Olympic games twice as a Greco-Roman wrestler and won the silver medal in 2016. There is nobody as credentialed in the UFC today when it comes to this style and it is evident in the way Madsen fights. He is evolving as a martial artist training with the team at Fight Ready, but the bread is clearly buttered for Madsen in those grappling exchanges. Tonight he draws Pichel who has a mere 25 percent takedown defense across his past nine fights. I see him really struggling to defend Madsen’s takedown attempts due to both his technical skill and overwhelming strength. While Pichel is going to be the more refined striker, Madsen will have opportunities to land big given the threat of the takedown. I see him getting to the hips of Pichel early and often though, and putting on a wrestling clinic for the better part of these three rounds. I would be taking Madsen as a sizable favorite here so at the current odds he is one of my favorite bets all night. Mark Madsen by Decision
Nick: Mark O. Madsen is an Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling. He’s a powerful and effective chain grappler who is capable of explosive throws and offensive slams. He does an excellent job timing his entries for takedowns, and his striking seems to improve every time we see him in the ring. Vince Pichel is a well-rounded veteran, coming off three consecutive wins. Pichel is getting up there in age but he only fights once a year. This means he isn’t as damaged as some of the other fighters at this stage of his career. Pichel is going to have a considerable striking advantage here. Additionally, I see him as having much better cardio and durability in this matchup. Madsen should dominate early, leaning on a grappling heavy attack. However, I expect Pichel to take over late as Madsen starts to fade. Another low confidence play, but I see Pichel catching Madsen late. Vinc Pichel by Round Three KO

Mackenzie Dern -120 vs Tecia Torres -110

Anthony: Next is a great fight at women’s strawweight between Mackenzie Dern and Tecia Torres. As always with a Mackenzie Dern fight, this can be boiled down to striker versus grappler matchup. Dern is a no-gi world champion and one of the best jiu jitsu practitioners to ever step inside the cage. If able to bring things to the mat and establish position, she can tap any woman at 115 pounds. She has a strong lower body that allows her to really pin down opponents and work her BJJ. However, Dern is still a rudimentary striker. She also has just 10 percent takedown accuracy, lacking the effective wrestling to consistently drag fights into her world. Torres is incredibly strong and well rounded. She is quick on her feet and I think in the larger 30 foot octagon, it will be easy for her to stay out of the grasp of Dern here. The losses she has suffered came against the very best in this division and I do not believe Dern to have any path to victory against her aside from on the mat. At near even odds I am certainly going to be siding with Torres in this spot. I see her keeping it on the feet and landing close to 100 strikes on Dern here, with little concern for the power coming back at her. Tecia Torres by Decision
Nick: Dern is one of the more decorated BJJ blackbelts in all of the UFC. She has a nearly flawless ground game as a former world No. 1 ranked IBJJF competitor. She is an ADCC and no-gi BJJ World Champion, and a brutal matchup for any opponent when her fights hit the mat. When this fight is standing, Torres is going to have a considerable advantage. She is excellent in the clinch and she lands nearly five significant strikes per minute. Dern has shown dramatic improvements in her striking over her last few fights. She’s no longer the one-dimensional fighter she was when entering the UFC, but she’s definitely going to try to take Torres to the mat. I could see this fight going either way and there’s really no outcome in this spot that would surprise me. I think it’s more likely that Torres keeps this fight standing though. Torres is on a solid three fight winning streak and she’s never been submitted professionally. As long as she doesn’t spend too much time on the ground, I expect her to win on the scorecards. Tecia Torres by Decision

Khamzat Chimaev -520 vs Gilbert Burns +370

Anthony: The featured bout is a massive fight at welterweight between Khamzat Chimaev and the #2 ranked contender Gilbert Burns. Chimaev is an incredible prospect taking the promotion by storm. He has only absorbed one significant strike in his four UFC bouts thus far, completely blanking his past three opponents. Chimaev is a Swedish national wrestling champion and one of the highest-level grapplers in the division today. He is a massive welterweight. Not only is he slicing through opponents on the mat with ease, but we have also seen his knockout power on full display. He has incredible stoppages in Brave CF such as the brutal uppercut knockout landed on Ikram Aliskerov. He also finished Gerald Meerschaert with a single punch at middleweight in a fight that lasted only 17 seconds. Some may say that the hype surrounding him is unwarranted, but a matchup with Burns should produce more of the same results. While Burns is a very talented martial artist with an excellent resume of his own, I think he lacks the size and strength to slow down Chimaev’s climb toward gold. We saw champion Kamaru Usman knock him out with a jab, while Chimaev possesses far more power and much more sophisticated striking. While he could easily bring this fight to the mat, I expect Chimaev to hunt for a knockout and keep things standing today. This fight will be worth the price of the pay-per-view on its own and while I do not want to disrespect Burns, I really do believe Chimaev makes light work of him here. Khamzat Chimaev by Round One KO
Nick: Khamzat Chimaev is one of the more hyped prospects the UFC has ever seen. He’s an extremely talented grappler known to lift his opponents fully in the air, carry them to his corner and slam them to the ground. Once grounded he throws devastating ground-and-pound while boasting an advanced arsenal of submissions. He’s an underrated striker with true KO power and many have him pegged as a future multi-weight champion. Gilbert Burns represents a considerable step up for Chimaev here. Burns is an extremely talented grappler with outstanding BJJ, and he’s by far the more experienced fighter in this matchup. That being said, Burns is a former 155 pounder. Chimaev has also had success at 185 and I expect his size to be his greatest advantage here. As long as he’s careful closing distance, I expect Chimaev to remain undefeated. He’ll be live for a KO if this fight stays standing and while Burns is a dangerous grappler, I don’t see him gaining the positions he’d need on Chimaev for a submission attempt. There’s no denying Burns is one of the best fighters in the world at 170, but Chimaev is a different animal. I expect Burns to come out aggressive but start to fade quickly. There’s a lot of ways this could end, but I see Chimaev winning by early knockout as Burns is nearly impossible to submit. Khamazat Chimaev by Round One KO

Petr Yan -460 vs Aljamain Sterling +335

Anthony: The co-main event is a rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan for the undisputed bantamweight championship. In the first meeting between these two, Yan landed an intentional knee to the head of a downed Sterling. This resulted in a disqualification and the belt controversially changing hands. Both fighters now have a chance to right that wrong and prove who the better man is, after a very close fight prior to that foul. Yan is without a doubt the best bantamweight in the world today. He has very few holes in his game with some of the best boxing in all of the UFC. Tiger Muay Thai has made an absolute monster out of him and after Yan gets his opponent’s timing down, he fights like a well-oiled machine. After the bout with Sterling he put on a striking masterclass against Cory Sandhagen to claim interim gold. Sterling is conversely a grappling specialist, with wrestling and submission skills really second to none in this division. His striking has improved, but it is clear his path to victory will be taking the back of Yan in this fight. He should have several plans in place to initiate the grappling after failing to do so successfully last year. Sterling’s cardio was badly sapped after the first ten minutes of that bout and it reflected in his performance thereafter. He will need to have better energy conservation in the rematch tonight, but it is also imperative he gets the jump on Yan early. A quick submission is once again going to be his clearest path to victory as the pace and pressure of Yan becomes unbearable in the fight’s latter half. Sterling seems to be in the best shape of his life and we are getting incredible value on him here as a massive underdog. I took Sterling in the first meeting at +110, so of course I am back on him in this matchup where it’ll be hard to look any worse. He is being disrespected by the public who seem to quickly forget how talented he really is. And Still. Aljamain Sterling by Round Two Submission
Nick: This bantamweight title unification bout is a rematch of a fight that took place back in March of 2021. Yan was pulling away on the scorecards in that fight, but he hit Sterling with a blatantly illegal knee when Sterling was down. This cost Yan his belt, but he has since reclaimed an interim title with an impressive win over Cory Sandhagen. Sterling has been sidelined since that fight as he underwent a serious neck surgery. Yan is a sniper. He eats some shots to set up bigger ones, but his combinations are what make him so dangerous. Yan does an excellent job weathering early pressure from his opponents as he learns their timing and habits. He takes in this information and then uses it to trap his opponents and exploit them with his own devastating offense. While both fighters are well rounded, Sterling is the better offensive grappler. His one path to victory here will be to find an early submission, but I’m not confident in Yan providing him that opening. Petr Yan has active hips. He does a good job creating scrambles and as we saw in his rematch with Magomed Magomedov, he’s an underrated grappler in his own right. Yan’s cardio has never been an issue and he gets stronger as his fights wear on. The last time these two met, he managed to mix in a lot of trips and surprisingly scored seven takedowns of his own. Yan is the more polished and technical striker here. Sterling throws a ton of volume, but against a technical powerhouse like Yan he’s likely to work himself into some trouble if this fight stays on the feet. Sterling likes to fake level changes a lot to set up takedowns. This could help level the playing field when this fight is standing, but Yan is a master of timing and I expect he’ll make Sterling pay for his entries. Yan’s style is perfect for these five round fights. I think that since he’s seen Sterling before he’ll take less time to pick up on his habits and he should be able to win even more convincingly than he was the first time around. I see the larger cage in this matchup as an advantage for Yan, who I expect to want to keep this fight standing. This is another fight where the line has gotten out of hand, but Yan is the clear pick. He’s been training non-stop since the last time these guys fought, and Sterling spent a lot of time shelved for surgery. Sterling will look good early here, but Yan should be able to dominate as this fight enters the later rounds. And New. Petr Yan by Round Four KO

Alexander Volkanovski -700 vs The Korean Zombie +475

Anthony: Our main event features featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski looking to defend his belt against The Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung. We had originally been promised the trilogy between Volkanovski and Max Holloway today, but an injury forced him to withdraw from this matchup a few months ago. The Korean Zombie steps in as a willing title challenger although he may not necessarily be the rightful selection for this shot at gold. He is a legend of the sport who has produced extremely fun finishes over the course of his eleven years in the promotion. He is a dangerous opponent who does his best work brawling and walking down foes on the feet, but the champion is going to be a very tough draw for him. Volkanovski is just as aggressive and far more technical than the Zombie. He is incredibly well-rounded with his best performances coming in his three most recent bouts. This title reign has vaulted Volkanovski into conversation as the best pound for pound fighter in the world. The odds have gotten way out of hand, but it is understandable that he is the biggest favorite on this fight card. I do not think Zombie has many paths to victory here aside from landing something damaging on the feet. The move to Fight Ready to train with Henry Cejudo certainly helped The Korean Zombie game plan for this matchup, but I do not believe he is the one to take gold off the champion’s waist. Since returning from military service in 2017, the wins for Zombie have come over guys ranked outside the division’s top five. This is likely his last shot at capturing a title and I feel Volkanovski is just too fundamentally sound to make a mistake that gives him that chance. And Still. Alexander Volkanovski by Round Four KO

Nick: Volkanovski has an extremely high Fight IQ. He’s a gifted striker who does an excellent job mixing kicks into his combinations. He does a good job closing distance against taller opponents and his low and powerful base makes him difficult to takedown. He’s capable of finding entries to takedown his opponents, but he’s most comfortable fighting on the feet. Volkanovski does an excellent job baiting his opponents with feints. He’s very difficult for his opponents to read and he makes them pay whenever they try to put him on the defensive. The Korean Zombie is an extremely well-rounded mixed martial artist. He’s primarily a striker, but he’s also a blackbelt in BJJ with eight professional victories coming by way of submission. He’s no longer the kill or be killed fighter he was known as in his ascension to stardom, but he’s still extremely dangerous on the feet with some of the most devastating power in the world at 145. As talented as The Korean Zombie is, Volkanovski poses a different type of challenge for him here. Volkanovski is extremely aggressive and does an excellent job controlling range with powerful leg and body kicks. Volkanovski throws at a much higher volume than any of The Korean Zombie’s recent opponents. The line has gotten a bit out of hand, but I expect Volkanovski to be the better fighter no matter where this one goes. And Still. Alexander Volkanovski by Decision

-Nick Marro

Twitter: @NickMarroDFS

-Anthony Marro

Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_