5 contenders for the Fight of the Night award at UFC 273

This weekend sees UFC 273 take place in Jacksonville, Florida. The event is a loaded one, featuring a number of the promotion’s top stars.

With a total of 13 fights on tap for UFC 273 and some involving some of the promotion’s most exciting talents, there should be a number of contenders for the Fight of the Night award.

So which fighters will find themselves $50k richer come the end of the show this weekend? To be honest, with a card this good, it’s anyone’s guess.

With that in mind, here are five contenders for the Fight of the Night award at UFC 273.

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#5. UFC welterweight bout: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns

Will Khamzat Chimaev's fight with Gilbert Burns produce something special this weekend?

While much of the spotlight coming into UFC 273 has centered around the welterweight clash between hot prospect Khamzat Chimaev and former title challenger Gilbert Burns, it’s safe to say that the bout is probably an underdog bet for the Fight of the Night award.

That’s because, according to the betting lines, at least, Chimaev is a huge favorite to smash his way through ‘Durinho’ in the same dominating fashion that he did to his last four opponents in the octagon, including the highly-rated Li Jingliang.

However, it’s safe to say that Burns will be the toughest test that ‘Borz’ has faced thus far into his octagon career by a country mile. Not only has the Brazilian fought for the welterweight title, he’s also got far more experience than Chimaev and has overcome the likes of Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson.

So if Burns can actually push Chimaev and become the first man to ever force the Chechnyan onto his back foot, the fight could well be less of a squash and much more of a war than anyone could possibly imagine.

If that’s the case, then given the crowd focus that’s bound to be on this one due to the star status of Chimaev, then we could be in for something genuinely special, meaning that the bout could well secure the Fight of the Night award.

#4. UFC bantamweight bout: Julio Arce vs. Daniel Santos

Could Julio Arce produce another exciting fight when he faces Daniel Santos this weekend?

Given all of the star power at the top of the card, it’s hardly a surprise that UFC 273’s opening fight between bantamweights Julio Arce and Daniel Santos is flying completely under the radar.

However, given that the promotion does tend to enjoy financially rewarding its lesser-known talents if they put on a show, there’s every chance that this clash will produce something special, netting both men an extra $50k this weekend.

Arce has been with the promotion for a relatively long period now, as he debuted in the octagon back in 2018. While he hasn’t quite reached the heights that some observers would’ve hoped, he has delivered some wild fights over that four-year period.

His bloodbath with Sheymon Moraes, for instance, was one of 2018’s most underrated fights, while his stoppages of Julian Erosa and Andre Ewell were also excellent. Quite how he hasn’t won a post-fight bonus already is a mystery.

Santos, meanwhile, looks like the kind of fighter to get the best out of Arce. ‘Willycat’ has not fought in the octagon before, but holds a record of 8-1 and holds three knockout wins with spinning attacks.

Based on his highlight reel, it’s definitely likely that he’ll come to take the fight to Arce this weekend. Based on what we’ve seen from the New York native, Arce is likely to oblige him in a firefight. Therefore, it’s unlikely this one will go the distance, boosting its hopes of winning the Fight of the Night award.

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#3. UFC bantamweight title: Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan

The bad blood between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan could produce some fireworks this weekend

Given the controversial way their first fight ended, it’s hardly surprising that the UFC bantamweight title rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan is filled with bad blood.

While ‘Funk Master’ and ‘No Mercy’ have been largely respectful coming into this bout, it’s safe to say that they don’t like each other at all. So, it’s their staredown that most fans are looking forward to in the event’s press conference and weigh-in this week.

Could this bad blood translate into an excellent fight come Saturday night? There’s every chance it might.

Sterling’s first bout with Yan back in March 2021 was an excellent one. While it didn’t win any post-fight awards, it’s probably fair to suggest that the reason was the controversial ending that saw ‘No Mercy’ disqualified.

However, if Sterling can make the correct adjustments to allow him to take the fight to the Russian this time around, then we could be in for a very special fight indeed. After all, Yan is perhaps the division’s most explosive striker, while Sterling is the most dangerous grappler at 135 pounds.

Add in the fact that over five rounds, we could be in for numerous twists and turns, and this bantamweight title bout could well prove to be a contender for the Fight of the Night award.

#2. UFC welterweight bout: Ian Garry vs. Darian Weeks

Can prospect Ian Garry produce something special this weekend?

While his name isn’t as well-known as some of the fighters he’s sharing the card with at the weekend, Ian Garry seems to be one of the UFC’s hotter prospects right now and is garnering plenty of hype.

The Irishman has already stated he’s in no rush to get to the top of the promotion and doesn’t seem to like the comparisons to fellow former Cage Warriors champions like Paddy Pimblett and Conor McGregor. Nevertheless, it’s hard not to be excited about his chances.

After all, ‘The Future’ is 8-0 as a professional, has only gone the distance once and finished opponent Jordan Williams with a violent flurry of strikes in his octagon debut last year.

This weekend sees him matched with Darian Weeks, who has a similar amount of experience and a similar aggressive style to that of Garry. Weeks lost his octagon debut last year, but there’s no shame in losing to a hard-nosed veteran like Bryan Barberena and he’ll be desperate to bounce back here.

Based on what we’ve seen from both of these men, it’s likely that they’ll produce a firefight this weekend. While Garry is undoubtedly the favorite to win, the fact that the UFC is already pushing him as a potential star means that they could choose to shine the spotlight on this one by rewarding it with the Fight of the Night award.

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#1. UFC featherweight title: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung

Can Chan Sung Jung bring the best out of Alexander Volkanovski this weekend?

While the UFC doesn’t often reward its headline bouts with the Fight of the Night bonus, usually because the headliners are already the highest-paid fighters on the card, this weekend’s headliner could buck that trend.

Alexander Volkanovski’s featherweight title defense against Chan Sung Jung isn’t the fight that was initially planned for the Aussie. He was supposed to fight Max Holloway for a third time. However, it’s arguable that this match will produce a more exciting bout overall.

Simply put, ‘The Korean Zombie’ is one of the most exciting fighters in UFC history, whether he’s putting on epic brawls with the likes of Yair Rodriguez and Dustin Poirier or finishing Frankie Edgar and Renato Moicano in violent fashion.

‘The Great’, meanwhile, isn’t a consummate finisher per say, but he’s also an aggressive, hard-nosed fighter who won’t back down from anyone. Not only is he the best featherweight on the planet right now, but he’s also one of the most exciting, as he showed in his Fight of the Year contender against Brian Ortega in 2021.

Therefore, if Jung looks to take the fight to Volkanovski as everyone is expecting, we should be in for something special, particularly as both men are tough and durable enough to take the bout into the later rounds.

He may not end up claiming UFC gold at the end of the night, but with all things considered, don’t bet against ‘The Korean Zombie’ claiming his seventh post-fight performance bonus this weekend.