How great of a sports betting week is this? There was the North Carolina-Kansas college basketball national title game on Monday, followed by MLB’s Opening Day and the start of the Masters tournament on Thursday. The fun continues Saturday at UFC 273 from Florida with two title fights. Check out the MMA odds, analysis, and free picks for UFC 273’s main card.

UFC 273 Event Info

• When: Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 10:00 pm ET
• Where: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, FL
• TV: PPV
• Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass

UFC 273 Main Card Odds

UFC 273 Main Card Preview

Alexander Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie

The main event is a featherweight title bout between champion Alexander Volkanovski and top contender Chan Sung Jung, better known as the Korean Zombie. Volkanovski is a -720 favorite, with Sung Jung at +500. Volkanovski is the better fighter everywhere other than submissions.

Volkanovski has become one of the greatest featherweights ever. The other contenders for that honor are Jose Aldo and Max Holloway, and Volkanovski has beaten them both — Holloway twice. Jung steps in for Holloway, who was forced out of the planned trilogy fight with Volkanovski due to an undisclosed injury.

Volkanovski enters the event on a 20-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013. His 20-fight winning streak in MMA competition is the longest among active UFC fighters and he is one of five fighters in UFC history to start 10-0 with the promotion. Volkanovski’s eight-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Arnold Allen (nine).

Jung fought Aldo for the belt in 2013, losing by TKO after injuring his shoulder. That defeat was followed by a nearly four-year absence from the Octagon while Jung healed injuries and fulfilled a military obligation for his country of South Korea. Jung is 4-2 since he returned from a more than three-year layoff from competition in February 2017. Jung has earned 15 of his 18 career victories by stoppage. That includes six of his seven UFC wins.

The featherweight champ will use his superior cardio, output and leg kicks to wear Jung down for all five rounds. Unless Jung can surprise us by dropping Volkanovski in the early rounds, expect Volkanovski to have his way to keep the belt. He’s fought 18 consecutive rounds against elite talent.

UFC 273 Pick: Volkanovski

Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan

The co-main event features a rematch and unification bantamweight title bout between Aljamain Sterling and interim champion Petr Yan. Sterling is a +350 underdog and Yan -475. It’s rare to see an underdog incumbent champion, let alone a big one.

It’s a title unification bout after Yan was disqualified in their first fight at UFC 259 after blasting Sterling with an illegal knee. The ringside physician determined that Sterling, who was visibly rocked by the knee, could not fight on. Referee Mark Smith ruled the foul intentional, making the result a disqualification. What made the ending even stranger is that Yan was in full control of the bout. He was beginning to pick Sterling apart in the third and fourth rounds with technical boxing.

The judges had Yan ahead 29-28, 29-28, 28-29 going into the fourth, a round Yan was convincingly winning before the illegal knee. Sterling had neck surgery shortly after that fight, which kept him out of action for the rest of 2021 while Yan sent won the interim title with an impressive five-round decision win over Cory Sandhagen.

Sterling came out with an aggressive pace and a high-striking output in the first round in their first outing. However, in typical Yan fashion, after the first round he started taking over. Sterling had trouble dealing with Yan’s power, and getting past his 90% takedown defense, in the first fight. Sterling succeeded on only one of 17 takedown attempts, while Yan went a perfect 7-of-7.

Sterling’s six-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is tied with Merab Dvalishvili for the longest active streak in the division. Sterling’s 11 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for the second most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (13). Sterling’s six stoppage victories in UFC bantamweight competition are fourth-most in divisional history.

Yan’s 10 knockdowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are most in divisional history. Yan is the only bantamweight in UFC history with top five ranking in offensive takedown accuracy and takedown defense after at least five divisional appearances.

UFC 273 Pick: Petr Yan

Where to Bet on MMA with Crypto

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more MMA previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest MMA betting odds on our crypto sportsbook.

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