UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Ariel Helwhiney
- May 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 15
Introduction
UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie took place on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. It was one of the deepest UFC pay-per-view cards of 2022, featuring two championship fights and the most-anticipated welterweight Fight of the Year contender of the year. The card produced an estimated 600,000 pay-per-view buys.
Alexander Volkanovski defended his featherweight title with a clean fourth-round TKO of Chan Sung Jung. The co-main saw Aljamain Sterling unify the bantamweight titles by beating Petr Yan via split decision (45-50, 48-47, 48-47) in a rematch of their UFC 259 DQ ending.
The featured main-card bout produced the biggest in-cage moment of the year: Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns went the distance in a three-round welterweight Fight of the Year contender that included three knockdowns and a level of striking violence rare in recent UFC competition. Chimaev won by unanimous decision (29-28 ×3).
Contents
• FAQ
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, April 9, 2022
📍 Venue: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
👥 Attendance: 15,008 (full capacity)
💰 Gate: $2.6 million
📺 PPV Buys: ~600,000
📡 Broadcast: Pay-per-view (ESPN+ in USA)
🏆 Main Event: Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Chan Sung Jung — UFC Featherweight Championship (145 lbs)
✅ Result: Volkanovski def. Jung via TKO (punches) — R4, 0:45
🥇 Co-Main: Aljamain Sterling (c) def. Petr Yan (ic) via Split Decision (45-50, 48-47, 48-47) — Bantamweight Title Unification
The Build-Up
Alexander Volkanovski entered UFC 273 on the heels of his most dangerous title defense — the third-round near-submission scare from Brian Ortega at UFC 266. Chan Sung Jung was 17-7 with a five-fight UFC win streak and had been a top-five featherweight for nearly a decade.
The co-main was the bantamweight title unification. Aljamain Sterling had won the title at UFC 259 in March 2021 via DQ when Petr Yan landed an illegal knee. Yan had won the interim title at UFC 267 in October 2021. The featured main-card bout was Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns — Chimaev a -300 favourite but Burns a credible top-five welterweight.
Main Event: Volkanovski vs. Jung
Rounds one through three were Volkanovski's. He used volume striking and leg kicks to control distance, scored a takedown in round one, and by the end of round three had landed 109 total significant strikes to Jung's 36. Round four ended it at 0:45 — a clean overhand right wobbled Jung, Volkanovski pressed to the cage, and sustained combinations caused the stoppage. It was his third title defense.
Co-Main Event: Sterling vs. Yan 2
The rematch was as competitive as the first fight. Yan used his striking to win rounds one and three; Sterling used wrestling to win rounds two and four. Round five was the decider — Sterling scored a takedown at 1:30, controlled top position, and finished with sustained ground-and-pound. Final scorecards: 45-50, 48-47, 48-47 — a split decision for Sterling. Yan disputed the result openly. Sterling was the unified UFC bantamweight champion.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Alexander Volkanovski (c) def. Chan Sung Jung — TKO (punches) — R4, 0:45 — Featherweight Title
Aljamain Sterling (c) def. Petr Yan (ic) — Split Decision (45-50, 48-47, 48-47) — Bantamweight Title Unification
Khamzat Chimaev def. Gilbert Burns — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Welterweight
Mackenzie Dern def. Tecia Torres — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Strawweight
Mark O. Madsen def. Vinc Pichel — Split Decision — Lightweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Raquel Pennington def. Aspen Ladd — Split Decision — Women's Bantamweight
Ian Garry def. Darian Weeks — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Welterweight (UFC debut)
Anthony Hernandez def. Josh Fremd — Submission (rear-naked choke) — R3, 3:42 — Middleweight
Piera Rodriguez def. Kay Hansen — Submission (armbar) — R2, 4:39 — Strawweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥊 Fight of the Night: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns — $50,000 each.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Alexander Volkanovski — $50,000 for the fourth-round TKO of Chan Sung Jung.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Anthony Hernandez — $50,000 for the third-round rear-naked choke submission of Josh Fremd.
Records & Milestones
• Volkanovski's third successful UFC Featherweight Championship defense.
• Sterling unified the bantamweight title for the first time since UFC 259 — his first undisputed win over Yan after the prior DQ result.
• Chimaev vs. Burns — widely identified as the 2022 UFC Fight of the Year contender.
• Khamzat Chimaev's first competitive UFC bout — his first time going the distance and being hit clean by a top-tier contender.
• Ian Garry's UFC debut — the Dublin welterweight would go on to a 6-0 UFC run by mid-2024.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 273 is remembered first and foremost for the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns Fight of the Year contender — a three-round welterweight slugfest that confirmed Chimaev had the chin and the cardio to grind through 15 minutes against a top-five welterweight. The fight legitimised Chimaev as a top-three welterweight contender for the first time.
For Alexander Volkanovski, UFC 273 was the third of four UFC featherweight title defenses. He defended again at UFC 276 (against Max Holloway 3, UD), UFC 290 (against Yair Rodriguez, TKO R3), and UFC 298 (against Ilia Topuria, KO R2 loss). His featherweight reign ended in February 2024.
For Aljamain Sterling, the win unified the bantamweight title and started a successful three-defense reign. He lost the title to Sean O'Malley at UFC 292 in August 2023 by second-round KO.
FAQ
Why was Chimaev vs. Burns the 2022 Fight of the Year contender?
Three knockdowns, three rounds of sustained striking violence, and a level of striking exchange rare in welterweight competition. Both men landed combinations that would have ended most fights. The 29-28 ×3 unanimous decision was as close as the round-by-round flow suggested.
How did Sterling unify the title with Yan after the DQ?
Petr Yan had won the interim bantamweight title at UFC 267 in October 2021. UFC 273 was the unification — a five-round split-decision win for Sterling. The Sterling-Yan trilogy at UFC 280 (Sterling submission R3) made the final ledger 3-0 Sterling.
Was the Sterling-Yan 2 decision controversial?
Yes. Yan had a card of 50-45 from one judge while the other two had it 48-47 for Sterling. The 50-45 card was widely seen as inflated; most analysts had it as a 48-47 split that could have gone either way.
Did the Korean Zombie retire after this?
Yes, after one more fight. Chan Sung Jung fought once more — a UD loss to Max Holloway at UFC FN in August 2022 — before announcing his retirement. He finished his career 17-8.
Did Volkanovski lose the title eventually?
Yes. Volkanovski lost the featherweight title to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 in February 2024 by second-round KO. He also moved up to lightweight twice for title shots (UFC 284 against Islam Makhachev, UD loss; UFC 294 against Makhachev, KO R1 loss).
How does UFC 273 compare to UFC 272?
UFC 273 drew approximately 600,000 PPV buys versus UFC 272 (800,000) five weeks earlier — a 200,000-buy drop reflecting the absence of a personal grudge match. UFC 273 had two title fights versus UFC 272's zero, but the personal narrative of Covington-Masvidal had outdrawn deeper in-cage quality.
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