UFC 273 Report: Alexander Volkanovski stops the Korean Zombie, Sterling retains title against Yan
By: Eric Marcotte
On Saturday night, UFC 273 took place from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The card featured a pair of title fights, the headlining bout being UFC Featherweight Champion, Alexander Volkanovski, attempting to defend his title against one of the division’s most popular fighters, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. Volkanovski was originally scheduled to face Max Holloway on this card, but Holloway was replaced by Zombie after suffering an injury. Despite coming off of a strong win against Dan Ige, The Korean Zombie was a sizeable underdog going into this fight, which was understandable considering the champion’s 10-0 record in the promotion. The other title fight featured UFC Bantamweight Champion, Aljamain Sterling, attempting to defend his title against the interim champion of the division, Petr Yan. This was a rematch of their bout from last year, a fight that Sterling won by disqualification following an illegal knee from Yan. Yan was taking control of the fight in the later rounds, but the illegal knee cost him the bout, as well as his championship, and had to defeat Cory Sandhagen later in the year to earn the UFC Interim Bantamweight Championship that he carried into this bout against Sterling. Another notable matchup on this card saw Khamzat Chimaev face Gilbert Burns, in what would mark the toughest test of Chimaev’s career to this point.
The commentary team for this card consisted of Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, and Paul Felder. Performance of the Night bonuses was awarded to Alexander Volkanovski and Alexey Oleinik. Fight of the Night bonuses went out to Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns.
QUICK RESULTS:
*Julio Arce def. Daniel Santos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
*Piera Rodriguez def. Kay Hansen by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
*Alexey Oleinik def. Jared Vanderaa by neck crank at 3:39 of Round 1
*Mike Malott def. Mickey Gall by TKO at 3:41 of Round 1
*Raquel Pennington def. Aspen Ladd by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
*Anthony Hernandez def. Josh Fremd by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
*Ian Garry def. Darian Weeks by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
*Mark O. Madsen def. Vinc Pichel by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
*Mackenzie Dern def. Tecia Torres by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
*Khamzat Chimaev def. Gilbert Burns by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
*Aljamain Sterling def. Petr Yan by split decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) to retain the UFC Bantamweight Championship
*Alexander Volkanovski def. “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung by TKO at 0:45 of Round 4 to retain the UFC Featherweight Championship.
JULIO ARCE (17-5, 136.5) VS DANIEL GUSTAVO SANTOS (8-1, 135.5) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Arce missed weight by 0.5lbs and was fined 20% of his purse.
Santos pressured forward, trapping Santos against the cage about two minutes into the opening round. Arce kept on his feet and continued to circle the cage, doing his best to avoid the heavy shots from Santos. Arce’s counters improved as the round progressed, catching Santos with some short jabs while circling, and he was able to mix in some head kicks as well. Late in the round, Arce landed a left high kick that stunned Santos, ending the round on a strong note. 10-9 Arce.
Santos was spending a lot of time swinging at air in the second round, but he didn’t seem to tire much despite his output. Arce did not adjust his strategy in the second round, as he circled the cage, countered with his jab, and would catch Santos with the occasional head kick. To the credit of Santos, he continued to press forward, throwing heavy hooks and spinning attacks in the direction of his opponent. It was a close round, but I gave the edge to Arce. 20-18 Arce.
The pattern of the fight did not change in this third round. Santos pressed forward as he attempted to catch Arce against the cage, but Arce’s footwork continued to serve him well, and he was able to stay a step ahead of Santos throughout these final five minutes. At one point Santos attempted a rolling thunder kick, but missed, and ate an uppercut as he attempted to pick himself up. The fight went the distance, and I scored it 30-27 for Arce.
WINNER: Julio Arce by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Julio Arce is a very tough opponent for a fighter making their UFC debut, and he was a step ahead of Santos throughout this fight. Santos spent the majority of the fight chasing Arce, but could not pin him down, and found himself eating sharp counters whenever he closed the range. Despite the loss, however, I didn’t think that Santos looked unimpressive, and I could see him being an exciting fighter to watch in the future. Arce is now 5-3 in the UFC.
PIERA RODRIGUEZ (7-0, 115) VS KAY HANSEN (7-5, 118.5) – STRAWWEIGHT
Hansen missed weight by 2.5lbs and was fined 20% of her purse.
They traded strikes in the pocket early, with Rodriguez seemingly landing with a bit more power. Hansen shot for a takedown roughly two minutes into the round, and she eventually brought Rodriguez down near the cage. Rodriguez was able to pop back to her feet, however, and connected with a sharp jab moments later. Hansen took the fight back to the ground later in the round, where she began to work from the guard of Rodriguez. She attempted an arm triangle, but there was not a ton of time remaining in the round and was unable to secure the late finish. 10-9 Hansen.
Rodriguez seemed somewhat hesitant to engage after the earlier takedowns from Hansen, and when she finally threw a head kick, her leg was caught, and Hansen pushed her back into the cage as she pursued another takedown. Rodriguez defended the attempt however and landed a knee to the head as they broke from the clinch. Rodriguez secured a takedown of her own late in the round and was able to take the back of Hansen following a brief scramble. Hansen escaped the position, and both fighters attempted heel hooks as time expired in the round. 19-19.
Rodriguez began the final round with another takedown and began to work from top position. Hansen prevented Rodriguez from advancing and quickly made it back to her feet, where she attempted to even the score with a takedown of her own. Rodriguez defended Hansen’s attempts, and pressed her against the cage, in pursuit of one final takedown. Rodriguez found it in the final seconds of the fight and likely secured her victory by preventing Hansen from doing much of significance throughout the round. 29-28 Rodriguez.
WINNER: Piera Rodriguez by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
This was not the most action-packed fight. There was not much damage dealt in terms of effective striking, and a great deal of the bout was spent wrestling against the cage, so this one pretty much came down to which fighter secured takedowns in each round. While Hansen seemed to be the stronger grappler in the first half of the bout, Rodriguez became the more aggressive wrestler as the fight progressed, and secured the impactful takedowns and control time that ultimately secured her the win. This marked Rodriguez’s UFC debut.
ALEXEY OLEINIK (59-16-1, 244) VS JARED VANDERAA (12-7, 266) – HEAVYWEIGHT
Oleinik marched forward, throwing out strikes in the awkward fashion that you would expect out of him. Oleinik attempted to pull guard and trap Vanderaa in an Ezekiel choke, but it was ultimately Vanderaa who worked his way onto the back of his opponent. He attempted a triangle choke as Oleinik turned into him, but was unsuccessful, and Oleinik took top position, where he quickly locked in a scarf hold. Oleinik began to squeeze, and Vanderaa was left with no choice but to submit.
WINNER: Alexey Oleinik by neck crank at 3:39 of Round 1
Vanderaa’s choice to engage Oleinik on the ground was a risky one, and unfortunately for him, it did not pay off here. Vanderaa had Oleinik in a spot of trouble when he took his back but did not maintain the position for long, and from the moment that Oleinik took top position, you could tell that this fight was unlikely to last much longer. This marked the 44-year-old Oleinik’s 60th career win, and he became the second fighter in UFC history to finish multiple fights in the promotion with a scarf hold.
MICKEY GALL (7-4, 170.5) VS MIKE MALOTT (71-1, 170.5) – WELTERWEIGHT
They exchanged hard right hands in the opening minute. Both fighters found success whenever they went on the attack, each landing big strikes in the early goings of the bout. Eventually, Gall opted to change levels and shoot for a takedown, but he was unable to keep Malott down for long. As Gall pushed forward, Malott landed this brutal left hook that sent Gall face first, down to the canvas, and the fight was stopped moments later.
WINNER: Mike Malott by TKO at 3:41 of Round 1
Mickey Gall has certainly improved his striking over the years, but he was leaving his chin out in the open here, and Malott capitalized as Gall pressured forward. This was a highlight reel knockout, and a fantastic first impression for Malott, who was making his UFC debut here. Malott has finished all eight of his pro wins in the first round, with four wins coming by knockout, and four wins coming by submission.
ASPEN LADD (9-2, 136) VS RAQUEL PENNINGTON (13-8, 134.5) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Pennington worked her way into the clinch but backed off quickly. She seemed to have the slight edge in the striking department, but Ladd’s movement was keeping Pennington from getting too busy offensively. Pennington attacked the body in an attempt to lower Ladd’s guard, and she picked up the aggression as the round progressed. The final minute of the round was a brawl, with Pennington landing the majority of the strikes, but Ladd getting some good shots off as well. 10-9 Pennington.
Pennington dug into the body, early in the second round. Ladd was cracked by a combination of punches before Pennington attempted a takedown, but Ladd’s defense held up, and the fight remained on the feet. A nasty eye poke from Ladd brought a pause to the action, but Pennington did not take much time to recover, and the fight resumed. Whenever Pennington turned the fight into a brawl, she was doing a lot of damage, but Ladd was countering well, finding more success in these exchanges than she had from distance. 20-18 Pennington.
In all likelihood, Ladd was behind on the scorecards, and her corner urged her to pick up the activity. It was Pennington however who remained the busier fighter in the opening exchanges, connecting with some solid combinations. Ladd tripped Pennington to the ground in the clinch, and attempted to take the back of Pennington as she attempted to use the cage to pick herself back up. Pennington was able to shake her off, and landed a number of knees to the body in the clinch, with her back to the cage. Ladd desperately attempted to secure a late takedown, but it was the wrong strategy for someone down on the scorecards, and the fight went the distance. 29-28 Pennington.
WINNER: Raquel Pennington by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
Ladd was surprised by the decision, but I think it would be hard to score either of the first two rounds in her favor. Pennington was doing more damage, and was just the busier fighter throughout, mixing up her attack by attacking the head as well as the body. In her post-fight interview, Pennington stated that she injured her hand early in the fight, but fought through it regardless. She called out Sara McMann in her post-fight interview, suggesting that the winner should be next in line for a shot at the bantamweight title.
ANTHONY HERNANDEZ (8-2, 1 NC, 186) VS JOSH FREMD (9-2, 185.5) – MIDDLEWEIGHT
Hernandez began the fight aggressively, but Fremd weathered the storm and did his best to defend Hernandez’s attempts to bring the fight to the ground. Eventually, Hernandez was successful in securing the takedown, and he quickly started hunting for a guillotine, which he nearly secured. With roughly ninety seconds remaining in the round, Fremd escaped to his feet, but Hernandez didn’t let up at all, landing a huge hook before dragging Fremd back to the ground. A dominant round for Hernandez. 10-9 Hernandez.
Hernandez continued to pressure forward in the second round, quickly securing another takedown. He attempted to move into the crucifix position, but Fremd rolled with it and ended up in top position, where he attempted a guillotine choke. He didn’t get it, but Fremd maintained dominant position, and Hernandez was finally starting to look a bit tired by the final minute of this second round. Hernandez escaped to his feet, but ate a big right hand, and was backed into the cage. As Fremd looked to move in to potentially finish the fight, Hernandez caught him in a guillotine of his own, which was looking tight before Fremd twisted out of it. Very entertaining round. 19-19.
It took Hernandez about five seconds to bring the fight back to the ground in round three. He went back to the guillotine, but once again, Fremd escaped, although this time, Hernandez maintained top position, where he began to drill knee after knee into the body of Fremd. Hernandez took Fremd’s back, but could not find the choke before time expired, and the fight went the distance. 29-28 Hernandez.
WINNER: Anthony Hernandez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
The pace of this fight was ridiculous. Hernandez in particular was pushing the wild pace, but considering Fremd took this fight on very short notice, his ability to hang in there with Hernandez for fifteen minutes was impressive. The rounds that Hernandez won decisively were very one-sided, but the second round was very entertaining, and Fremd genuinely gave Hernandez a few scares, both on the feet and on the ground. Hernandez improved to 3-2 in the UFC following this win.
IAN GARRY (8-0, 170.5) VS DARIAN WEEKS (5-1, 170.5) – WELTERWEIGHT
Garry swept Weeks off of his feet with an early leg kick. Weeks remained composed and pressured forward as he looked to trap Garry against the cage. Eventually, Weeks wrapped Garry up in the clinch as he attempted to take him down against the cage, but Garry’s defense held up, and he was able to create separation with two minutes remaining in the round. A push kick from Weeks knocked Garry off balance, but once again, he was unable to take Garry to the ground. 10-9 Garry.
Weeks seemed to be a bit hesitant to engage Garry on the feet, likely wary of a potential counter from his opponent. He opted to continue hunting for takedowns, but Garry’s defense continued to hold up. Garry was the more active fighter on the feet, and while he wasn’t doing a ton of damage, I thought he was winning this round based on activity alone. Weeks connected with a left hook in the final seconds of the round. 20-18 Garry.
Garry landed a front kick to begin the third round, which he followed up with a right hand. Weeks offensive output continued to be rather low, and when he committed to heavier strikes, he was often left swinging at air. Garry landed a counter right hand that stumbled Weeks, which was the exclamation mark on another round for Garry. 30-27 Garry.
WINNER: Ian Garry by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
This was not the most entertaining fight, largely due to the lack of activity from both fighters throughout. Garry showcased strong takedown defense, and Weeks did not seem to have another game plan after it became clear that wrestling was not his path to victory. Still, this was valuable cage time for both of these young fighters, and there were certainly some positives that you can take away from these fifteen minutes for Ian Garry.
VINC PICHEL (14-2, 155.5) VS MARK O. MADSEN (11-0, 155) – LIGHTWEIGHT
Madsen began the fight with a series of leg kicks, and Pichel was having trouble closing the distance. Pichel cracked Madsen with a right hand, before laughing and telling Madsen that he better watch out. Madsen responded with a heavy right hand of his own, and both fighters picked up the activity slightly in the final minutes of the round. Madsen changed levels and took Pichel down, but Pichel popped right back up, and landed a sharp jab. Madsen landed a looping right hand before time in the round expired. 10-9 Madsen.
The fight continued to play out on the feet in round two. Madsen was slightly more active than Pichel on the feet and mixed in the occasional takedown to bring the fight to his comfort zone. Pichel scrambled and attempted a calf slicer at one point, but was unsuccessful, and the fight returned to the feet. Pichel tagged him a couple of times on the feet before securing a takedown of his own against the Olympic silver medalist to end the round. 19-19.
Pichel felt as though Madsen was done, and turned up the aggression to begin round three. He shot for another takedown against the cage, but this time Madsen defended the attempt, and he secured one of his own moments later. Madsen just smothered Pichel from top position, giving him no opportunities to return to his feet. The fight went the distance, and I saw it 29-28 in favor of Madsen.
WINNER: Mark O. Madsen by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
The fight was closer than the scorecards indicate, but Madsen was just a bit more active on the feet, and a bit more controlling on the ground, especially in the final round. Pichel was visibly upset at the end of the bout, but I don’t think you can argue with Madsen getting his arm raised here. At 37 years of age, it always feels like time is working against Madsen, but he is now 4-0 in the UFC, and it really wouldn’t shock me if the UFC are looking at pairing him against a ranked opponent next.
At this point in the broadcast, the UFC announced that the latest inductee into the fight wing of their Hall of Fame, would be Cub Swanson versus Choi Doo-ho from UFC 206, which took place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario in December of 2016. Swanson won the three-round featherweight bout by unanimous decision, following fifteen of the wildest minutes in MMA history. There is no arguing the worthiness of this induction, and in my personal opinion, this was the greatest three-round bout in UFC history.
MACKENZIE DERN (11-2, 115.5) VS TECIA TORRES (13-5, 115.5) – STRAWWEIGHT
Torres shrugged off Derns early takedown attempts and ducked under Dern’s looping punches. They wrestled in the clinch against the cage, which resulted in a bit of a stalemate. Torres was darting in with these right hands and was doing a good job of avoiding Dern’s shots in return. Dern connected with a trio of heavy right hands in the final minute, which was her best sequence of the fight to this point. 10-9 Torres.
Dern jumped on to Torres in the opening minute of round two, where she initially attempted to pull guard, before switching to a kimura attempt. She was very close to finishing this armbar, but Torres used the cage to defend herself, and ultimately escaped immediate danger after going to the ground with Dern. Dern abandoned the arm, instead of rolling for a leg, where Dern attempted a kneebar. She didn’t secure the submission, but this was a very strong round for Dern. 19-19.
Torres attempted a heel kick in the third round, which resulted in Dern taking her to the ground momentarily. Torres landed an up kick that allowed her to return to her feet, and she caught Dern with an uppercut as well as she picked herself up. This was a solid round for Torres, who doubled Dern up on the strike count, but Dern had her moments as well, seemingly landing with more power whenever she cracked Torres. 29-28 Torres.
WINNER: Mackenzie Dern by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
The second and third rounds of this fight were very clear in favor of Dern and Torres respectively, so this fight really came down to the opening round on the scorecards. I thought Torres largely landed the better strikes throughout the round and seemed to be more active, but Dern made up a lot of ground in that final minute, connecting with three big right hands, and that was likely enough to sway two of the judges. It was a very close round, and I don’t think you can be upset with the outcome either way. In her post-fight interview, Dern asked for a top-five opponent, and I think Yan Xiaonan would be a sensible opponent to match her up against next.
GILBERT BURNS (20-4, 170) VS KHAMZAT CHIMAEV (10-0, 170) – WELTERWEIGHT
Chimaev backed Burns into the cage quickly, where he began to hunt for a takedown. Chimaev was successful in dragging him down, which prompted Burns to roll into his guard. Chimaev allowed Burns to his feet, and at this point, the broadcast mentioned that Burns had landed two significant strikes on Chimaev, a new record. They traded looping hooks in the pocket, with Chimaev seemingly landing the harder shots. Burns responded with a heavy jab and caught Chimaev with a left hook as he pressured forward. They continued to trade heavy hands, with Chimaev mixing in leg kicks as well. In the final minute of the round, a jab from Chimaev dropped Burns, and he followed him to the ground with some heavy ground and pound. Burns recovered and Chimaev let him back to his feet, but he was bleeding heavily by the end of the round. 10-9 Chimaev.
Burns attempted a takedown of his own to begin round two, but Chimaev slipped away. Chimaev worked his jab, but got cracked by a heavy straight right hand from Burns in response. Both fighters continued to land damaging right hands, and Chimaev defended another takedown from Burns. A left hand from Burns hurt Chimaev, and he went on the attack in pursuit of the finish, but Chimaev fired back, and was able to relieve the pressure and recover. There were some wild exchanges throughout this round, and it would be impossible for me to recap them all, but this second round was tremendous. Both fighters were bleeding, and beginning to tire from the insane pace at which they had been fighting at to this point. The ending of the round was absolutely insane, as Chimaev connected with a clean uppercut, before getting effectively dropped by a brutal right hand from Burns. Chimaev recovered and went for a takedown before time expired, but this was a clear round for Burns. 19-19.
Chimaev continued to defend takedown attempts from Burns and began to tee off on him against the cage early in round three. Burns looked absolutely exhausted but was still throwing with power, despite Chimaev seemingly pulling ahead in the round. Burns began to walk forward throwing heavy shots with about ninety seconds to go in the fight, looking for that big shot that would secure him the round, if not finish the fight entirely. Burns was landing bombs, but Chimaev just ate them, and they traded shots to end this wild fight. 29-28 Chimaev.
WINNER: Khamzat Chimaev by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
This was one of the best fights of the year to this point. These two fighters traded shots like madmen for fifteen minutes, knocking each other down, and pushing each other to the absolute limit. Honestly, the fight could have been scored either way, but Burns’ slow start in round three was likely the difference maker to the judges. There were many questions about Chimaev going into this one, and many of those questions were answered with this performance. He is obviously not invincible, but clearly durable, and fought at a ridiculous pace for fifteen minutes against one of the top welterweights in the world. After beating the second-ranked fighter in the division, it is likely that Chimaev will challenge for the UFC Welterweight Championship next, although a fight against the top-ranked contender, Colby Covington, is possible as well.
ALJAMAIN STERLING (20-3, 134.5) VS PETR YAN (16-2, 134) – UFC BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Sterling and Yan fought previously at UFC 259 in March of 2021, a fight that Sterling won by disqualification, following an illegal knee from Yan.
The fighters did not touch gloves to begin the fight. Yan defended Sterling’s first takedown attempt of the fight. Sterling was active with kicks from the outside, attacking the midsection of Yan while circling the cage. Yan’s forward pressure was constant, and he would flurry forward on occasion with heavy left hands. Yan defended another takedown to end the round, catching Sterling with a hook on the break. 10-9 Yan.
Sterling caught a leg from Yan early in the second round and tripped him down, where Sterling immediately took the back of Yan, locking in a body triangle. Sterling started throwing heavy shots from the back of Yan, forcing him to make some defensive mistakes, which allowed Sterling to improve his position, and throw down some strong ground and pound shots. Yan made it out of the round, but this was a strong round for Sterling. 19-19.
Yan defended a trio of takedown attempts from Sterling in the opening minute of round three, but Sterling was successful on his fourth attempt and took Yan’s back once again. Sterling applied pressure on Yan with his body triangle, as he attempted to look for a rear-naked choke. Yan spent the majority of the round defending the submission attempt and was unable to return to his feet yet again. Another round for Sterling. 29-28 Sterling.
Yan flurried forward to begin the fourth round, fighting with far more aggression than usual. Yan defended takedown attempts from Sterling, and seemed to be looking for one of his own, which Sterling defended. Once again, there was a scramble that resulted in Sterling nearly taking the back of Yan, but this time Yan slipped out, and he began to work from the guard of Sterling. Yan landed some ground and pound strikes and maintained dominant position until the end of the round. 38-38 on my scorecard.
Yan seemed to be the fresher fighter by the final round, but Sterling was in far better condition here than he was in at an early point in their previous bout. Yan defended takedown attempts from Sterling but was not doing much offensively while he was busy keeping the fight on the feet. Yan landed a jumping knee that he followed up with a left hand, and he followed Sterling to the ground after pushing him down. Sterling worked his way back to the feet with eighty seconds remaining, but Yan was able to take top control yet again following another unsuccessful takedown attempt. The fight went the distance, and the fighters acknowledged one another after the final bell. 48-47 Yan.
WINNER: Aljamain Sterling by split decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) to retain the UFC Bantamweight Championship
I saw the fight for Yan, but this was very much a fight that could have reasonably been scored either way (or even a draw). Despite only succeeding on two of his twenty-two total takedown attempts, Sterling made both of those takedowns matter, securing rounds two and three on the scorecards. Yan controlled rounds four and five, which leaves the first round as the difference-maker. Sterling was very active with his kicks, and it seems as though Yan’s comparative output may have been what cost him the round on two of the three scorecards. Regardless of the scoring, this was a very competitive fight, and Sterling proved that he was worthy of his UFC gold. After the bout, he called out T.J. Dillashaw, and I imagine that is the direction in which the UFC will go next (although I would prefer a Jose Aldo/Aljamain Sterling title bout). In Yan’s post-fight interview, he demanded a third fight with Sterling and stated that he believes that he was robbed on the scorecards in this bout.
ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI (23-1, 144.5) VS “THE KOREAN ZOMBIE” CHAN SUNG JUNG (17-6, 144.5) – UFC FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
The fighters touched gloves (about three times) to begin this championship bout. Volkanovski landed a left hand early, and he seemed to have the speed advantage. Zombie ate some big shots in this opening round, as he looked for his opportunity to counter. His face was reddening quickly, and Volkanovski wobbled him with a one-two. The leg kicks from Volkanovski were adding up as well, and he took Zombie down against the cage. Zombie popped back up, but was knocked off his feet by a left hand from Volkanovski, and was promptly knocked back down by a leg kick as he picked himself up. Beautiful round from the champion.
They traded leg kicks early in round two before Zombie landed a hard jab. A left hook from Volkanovski caught Zombie on his way in, knocking his head back and cutting off his attack. Volkanovski landed this left hand that looked as though it had Zombie out on his feet, but despite this, he was able to fire back a shot with enough power to fend the champion off momentarily. Volkanovski took Zombie down, and while Zombie was able to pick himself up, he was looking rough. Another strong round for Volkanovski.
The Korean Zombie came out swinging in round three, partially landing a series of left hooks, but speed difference continued to be the difference-maker in this fight. Zombie’s takedown defense was still serving him well, but he could not match the output from Volkanovski or the power seemingly. A right hook floored the Korean Zombie late in the round, and Volkanovski attempted to finish the fight with ground and pound, but time round out on him.
The doctor was brought in between rounds to check on Zombie, but ultimately, he was allowed to continue. Regardless, Volkanovski landed a right hand that rocked Zombie moments into the round, and referee Herb Dean immediately stopped the fight.
WINNER: Alexander Volkanovski by TKO at 0:45 of Round 4 to retain the UFC Featherweight Championship.
There is no questioning the Korean Zombie’s heart, but he was not on Alexander Volkanovski’s level, and this was not a competitive fight. Volkanovski was considerably quicker than the Korean Zombie, had more variety to his offense, and seemed to possess more power in his hands. The Korean Zombie took a beating throughout this fight, and I thought the stoppage from Herb Dean was perfect here, protecting him from any further damage. Volkanovski is now 11-0 in the UFC, and is indisputably on one of the best runs in the history of the promotion, with wins over the likes of Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, Chad Mendes, Brian Ortega, and now the Korean Zombie. In all likelihood, the UFC will look to schedule a third fight for Volkanovski against Max Holloway next, but fresh match ups against names such as Arnold Allen or Yair Rodriguez may generate interest as well. As for the Korean Zombie, he stated that after every loss he considers retirement, and with this likely being his final shot at UFC gold, I imagine this loss will be especially tough to digest. He remains one of the most popular fighters in the division, and there are certainly still fun fights to make for him, but it appears as though the Korean Zombie’s time as a top contender in the division has finally passed.
