UFC 273 predictions: Does 'Korean Zombie' have a chance vs. Volkanovski?

Ahead of Saturday's UFC 273 in Jacksonville, theScore's Nick Baldwin makes his picks for the top bouts.

Featherweight championship

Alexander Volkanovski (23-1)
vs.
Chan Sung Jung (17-6)

Going into his third title defense, Volkanovski seems to hold all the advantages over "The Korean Zombie."

Often underrated by fans, Volkanovski is undoubtedly one of the best fighters on the planet. He's immensely skilled in every area, and that'll carry him to victory against Jung. Whether the fight is playing out on the feet or the mat, Volkanovski will likely be ahead.

The one thing going for Jung is his power. He hits harder than Volkanovski, and he's more known for knocking people out with one shot than the champ is. So, Jung's best chance to pull off the upset is to pressure Volkanovski, which could set up the knockout finish. He needs to limit Volkanovski's space and can't let him dictate the fight's pace. It's unlikely Jung will win a decision.

Unfortunately for Jung, I suspect Volkanovski will be in control for most of the contest. Not only is Volkanovski an elite striker, but he also has incredible wrestling and ground-and-pound abilities. That will particularly be one of his keys to victory Saturday.

The pick: Volkanovski, unanimous decision

Bantamweight championship

Aljamain Sterling (20-3)
vs.
Petr Yan (16-2)

As much as it feels like Sterling will have a better showing than in his first fight with Yan in March 2021, it's hard not to pick Yan to reclaim the bantamweight title.

Stylistically, this is a very tough matchup for Sterling - which we saw in their first meeting almost 400 days ago - since Yan has such a huge advantage on the feet.

Sterling's best path to victory will be grappling Yan - pushing him up against the fence, scoring takedowns, making it a gritty fight. The problem is that Yan has tremendous takedown defense. He managed to make the first bout a striking affair, and that will be no different in the rematch.

It should be noted that Sterling said he wasn't in ideal shape going into the first fight. Following his weight cut, he didn't eat enough food and therefore didn't have enough fuel for a five-round bout. Assuming "Funk Master" won't make the same mistake, it's possible he'll look a lot better and make this a completely different battle.

However, Yan has also surely made improvements in the past 14 months. So, in the end, expect Sterling to take an early lead since Yan is known to be a slow starter. Sterling will use a variety of strikes - especially his kicks - to win a round or two. But Yan will be in control by the third round. He'll begin to pummel Sterling in the stand-up department, and it'll be clear at the end of 25 minutes that he's the top 135-pound fighter in the world.

The pick: Yan, unanimous decision

Welterweight bout

Gilbert Burns (20-4)
vs.
Khamzat Chimaev (10-0)

We're about to find out if Chimaev, one of the hottest rising stars in UFC history, is the real deal.

Burns is the toughest opponent Chimaev has been scheduled to face by a mile. Chimaev's biggest win to date came against Li Jingliang last October. Li is a solid fighter, but he doesn't compare to Burns, a former title challenger and the No. 2-ranked welterweight. Burns has beaten the likes of former champ Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson.

Chimaev is almost guaranteed to face more adversity than against his previous four UFC opponents, but I'm still siding with "Borz" to keep the train rolling.

His size advantage and strength will play a big role in getting the victory against Burns. It's no secret that Chimaev will look to wrestle his opponent, and he'll likely have success. Burns is one of the best jiu-jitsu artists in the sport, but it'll be far from impossible for Chimaev to control him on the ground as the bigger man and a talented wrestler.

Things could get interesting if Chimaev's wrestling and Burns' grappling neutralize each other, and they instead engage on the feet. We haven't seen much of Chimaev's striking in the UFC, and Burns is an adequate striker.

I'm going with Chimaev to continue his incredible run, but don't be shocked if Burns pulls off the upset and defends his spot as the No. 2-ranked welterweight in the promotion.

The pick: Chimaev, second-round TKO