UFC 273: Alexander Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie

The UFC Featherweight Championship is on the line as Alexander Volkanovski is set to defend his title against The Korean Zombie. Can Volkanovski keep the belt or will The Korean Zombie become the new champion? Read on to inform your Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie predictions.

Event: UFC 273

Date: April 9, 2022

Venue: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (Florida, USA)

Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie: Tale of the Tape

Volkanovski claimed the title in 2019 after earning a unanimous decision victory over Max Holloway at UFC 245 in Las Vegas. The Australian is yet to taste defeat in the octagon, winning all 10 of his UFC fights, and he’s only lost once in his professional career. That defeat came back in 2013 in just his fourth professional fight when he suffered a TKO loss against Corey Nelson in Melbourne, Australia.

The Korean Zombie heads into Saturday’s fight on the back of a unanimous decision win over Dan Ige in June 2021. He has fought once previously for the Featherweight title, but he suffered a TKO loss against Jose Aldo in Rio de Janeiro at UFC 163.

Analysing the Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie odds

Volkanovski is the 1.129* favourite to pick up the win at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, equating to an approximate 84.70% chance of victory. The Korean Zombie can be backed at 6.250*, which translates to a 15.30% likelihood of victory.

Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie: fighting styles analysed

Champion Volkanovski is a very well-rounded mixed martial artist but it’s his Muay Thai background that tends to be the most effective tool in his armoury. He primarily trains at the Freestyle Fighting Gym in Wollongong, Australia, but does regularly visit the Tiger Muay Thai Gym in Phuket, Thailand. 

He is also well-versed in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and demonstrated that skill set when beating Brian Ortega in his last fight at UFC 266. Volkanovski’s striking also can’t be underestimated, having earned 11 of his 23 wins by knockout. 

The Korean Zombie also has plenty of strengths and he’s regarded as one of the best strikers in the UFC. He trained in kickboxing from a young age before moving into judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The South Korean has picked up six UFC wins by knockout, but the majority of his wins (eight) in UFC have come via submission.

Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie: where is the value?

When taking Volkanovski’s fine record into consideration, it’s hard to make a firm argument against him retaining the belt at UFC 273. There’s plenty to like about The Korean Zombie but Volkanovski has demonstrated on numerous occasions that he is a cut above the rest of the division. The Australian can beat most rivals in any area, whether they choose to stand or look to take it down to the ground.

But it’s unlikely that Volkanovski will be able to win by KO or TKO, therefore, backing over 4.5 rounds at 1.540* offers better value than just an outright win for the champion.

Volkanovski tends to chip away at his opponents and each of his last four trips to the octagon has gone the full distance. The Korean Zombie has gone the full distance six times in his career, including his last two fights, winning on three of those occasions and losing on three.