Alexander Volkanovsky of Australia reacts after defeating South Korea’s Chan Sung Jung in the featherweight title fight at the UFC 273 event on April 09, 2022 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. James Gilbert / Getty Images / AFP
With UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovsky at the top of his game, it is a simple fact that he showed up again on Saturday night.
The Australians made it easy as they successfully defended their title against South Korea’s Chan Sung Jong in the main event of the UFC 273, with TKO winning in the 45th second of the fourth round at Jacksonville, Fla.
Volkanovsky’s striking was crisp and specific from the jump. He almost finished Jung, a contestant nicknamed “The Korean Zombie” for his perseverance, in the third, but Jung was protected by a horn. In the fourth, Volkanovsky pours it out and the bout closes with Jung still standing.
Volkanovski (24-1) has now won all 11 of his UFC fights and successfully defended his title three times. The rust has gone down to 16-7.
“I’m very good, I’m going to show you.”
[ @AlexVolkanovski | #UFC273 ] pic.twitter.com/ITaMtYEATu
– UFC (ufc) April 10, 2022
“She took a lot more (punishment) than I wanted,” Vokanovsky said. “I started to feel bad about it, but we’re in that game.”
Alzheimer’s Sterling (21-3) of the evening co-feature bout, Long Island, NY, defeated Russia’s Petr Ian (16-3) in the UFC Bantamweight Title Unifier, giving the last smile to many, many skeptics.
Last year, Sterling became the first fighter to win a title at the UFC through disqualification when Ian fouled Sterling, otherwise Ian would have won by hand. Sterling was a huge underdog going to the rematch and the Florida crowd was on the side of the Russians, but Sterling took the win through a split decision, getting two of three 48-47 scorecards to go in his favor.
Sterling uses his grip skills to decisively take two and three rounds, almost to submit to multiple events. Ian clearly took four and five rounds with his striking game. The determining factor was a close round, and Sterling got the consent of two of the three judges there and thus the fight.
“I know I’m very skeptical,” Sterling said. “Peter Ian was my tough-ass opponent. He brought out the best in me. Keep doubting me.
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