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UFC 273 looked like it had the potential to be one of 2022’s most memorable shows overall. In execution, it delivered in spades, with some excellent performances up and down the card.
With two UFC titles on the line as well as one of the biggest non-title bouts in some time, there was plenty at stake here, meaning some fighters came away with genuinely huge wins.
Where these fighters go from here is obviously unknown right now, but it’s safe to say that they’ll come away from last night’s event with their reputations massively enhanced.
With that in mind, here are the five biggest winners from UFC 273: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Korean Zombie.
#5. Mike Malott – defeated Mickey Gall in a UFC welterweight bout
While the likes of Mark Madsen, Aleksei Oleinik and Raquel Pennington all picked up big wins on last night’s undercard, the biggest winner from the preliminary portion of the event was probably UFC newcomer Mike Malott.
‘Proper Mike’ didn’t have that much hype around him coming into his bout with Mickey Gall, probably because his record of 7-1-1 didn’t look all that great. In fact, the Canadian was better known as one of Team Alpha Male’s coaches.
However, after he faceplanted Gall in the first round with a violent combination, it’s unlikely that anyone will be sleeping on him again. Whether he can break into the elite level at 170lbs is another thing entirely, but it’s safe to say that he produced a truly explosive knockout in his debut.
What made him such a big winner, though, was his pledge to give half of his fight purse – around $10k – to the cancer-stricken daughter of one of his teammates.
It was the kind of moment that instantly endeared Malott to the crowd in Jacksonville, Florida. It’s likely that the spotlight offered by last night’s event will mean more money is donated to the cause, too. YouTube star Jake Paul, for instance, has already pledged $10k.
Overall, then, while he didn’t officially receive a bonus award for his efforts last night, it’s clear that ‘Proper Mike’ was one of the event’s biggest winners.
#4. Mackenzie Dern – defeated Tecia Torres in a UFC strawweight bout
After suffering a loss to Marina Rodriguez in her first UFC headline bout, it was imperative that grappling expert Mackenzie Dern pick up a win over Tecia Torres last night to keep her title hopes alive. She did that – just about – by edging a split decision.
Quite who deserved the nod in this one probably depended on how the first round was scored. Dern dominated the second stanza on the mat, coming close with a couple of submission attempts, while Torres clearly took the third with her striking.
The first, though, saw Torres land with more volume, but Dern connect with the more telling blows. In the end, she was judged to have done just enough for a win.
Given that Dern was ranked at No.6 in the strawweight division prior to this bout – one spot above Torres – it’s unlikely that she’ll climb any higher on the ladder following her win. However, this victory was still hugely important.
Had she lost to ‘The Tiny Tornado’, it would’ve been easy to count Dern out of title contention. Now, though, she could well find herself in line for a title shot with one more win – making her one of last night’s biggest winners.
#3. Khamzat Chimaev – defeated Gilbert Burns in a UFC welterweight bout
It didn’t come nearly as easily as his previous wins in the UFC, but when the dust was settled, after an epic fight, Khamzat Chimaev came away with another victory. More to the point, any questions about whether he’s for real have now been firmly answered.
Chimaev took the fight to opponent Gilbert Burns – who was ranked No.2 in the division. After dropping him late in the first round, it looked like he was about to put ‘Durinho’ away for yet another stoppage win.
Burns proved to be tougher than ‘Borz’ expected, though, and hung on to make it into the second round. There, he began to take over the fight as Chimaev seemed to be wilting.
However, any questions around Chimaev’s chin were soon answered when he survived a barrage of shots in that round. The native of Chechnya then came roaring back to tear the fight away from the grasp of Burns in the third, winning via decision.
So is a title shot in Chimaev’s future? Even if it isn’t his next bout, it seems inevitable that he’ll fight for the gold at some point soon. Can he win the welterweight crown? Based on last night, he has some adjustments to make – but if he can do that, then he’s got a great chance. Either way, he went from prospect to genuine contender last night.
#2. Aljamain Sterling – defeated Petr Yan to defend the UFC bantamweight title
It wasn’t without controversy – albeit nowhere near the same amount as their last bout produced – but when all was said and done, Aljamain Sterling was adjudged to have done enough to retain his UFC bantamweight title against interim champ Petr Yan last night.
Many observers – including Dana White – have stated that they felt Yan did enough to take the victory. Regardless, it was ‘The Funk Master’ who had his hand raised after being given the first, second and third rounds of the fight.
Sterling’s performance made a mockery of the idea that Yan would simply whitewash him this time around. Not only did he take Yan down in the second and third rounds, but he dominated him on the mat, coming close to finishing him on more than one occasion in the second.
Sure, ‘No Mercy’ came roaring back in the final two rounds but it just wasn’t enough to sway the fight for him.
In the end, then, it’s hard to deny that Sterling is the best 135lber on the planet at this point, even if he still doesn’t seem to be getting the respect he deserves.
It sounds like T.J. Dillashaw is next up for him. At the very least, he’ll probably be treated as the “face” in that bout meaning that, should he win, he’ll probably be legitimized in the eyes of any remaining doubters.
Regardless, after his showing last night, it’s impossible not to consider him one of UFC 273’s biggest winners.
#1. Alexander Volkanovski – defeated Chan Sung Jung to defend the UFC featherweight title
While both Khamzat Chimaev and Aljamain Sterling picked up huge victories last night, it’s hard not to consider UFC 273’s biggest winner to be reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Sure, it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as his last victory over Brian Ortega, but Volkanovski looked absolutely fantastic in his win over Chan Sung Jung. He thoroughly dominated ‘The Korean Zombie’ en route to a merciful fourth-round stoppage.
The fight was, realistically, done in the third round, as Volkanovski dropped Jung hard and attempted to finish him, only for the buzzer to save the challenger.
In a bizarre decision, the cageside doctor allowed it to go on into the fourth, only for referee Herb Dean to mercifully stop it when Volkanovski landed another brutal right hand, despite Jung remaining on his feet.
Overall, though, this was further evidence as to why Volkanovski ought to be considered a pound-for-pound great right now. Essentially, the Australian has no weaknesses, and he was able to beat a very tough challenger in every single area here.
Can any 145lber defeat him right now? Based on last night, it’s highly doubtful. There’s every chance that ‘The Great’ goes on to become the UFC’s featherweight GOAT now – if he isn’t there already.
