Two UFC championships are on the line Saturday night as part of a stacked UFC 273 fight card.
Both the UFC Featherweight Championship and UFC Bantamweight Championship will be up for grabs from Jacksonville.
Here’s the info Michigan sports bettors need to know about Saturday’s PPV event.
How to watch: UFC 273
- What: UFC 273
- Where: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla.
- When: Saturday, April 9
- Early Prelims: Start at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass
- Prelims: Start at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+
- Main Card: Starts at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+
The UFC 273 Main Card
Saturday’s main card includes five fights, including the two championship bouts.
Here’s a look of what you can expect to see on Saturday’s PPV.
- Featherweight Championship: Champion Alexander Volkanovski vs. No. 4 Chan Sung Jung
- Bantamweight Championship: Champion Aljamain Sterling vs. Interim Champion Peter Yan
- Welterweight Bout: No. 2 Gilbert Burns vs. No. 11 Khamzat Chimaev
- Women’s Strawweight Bout: No. 5 Mackenzie Dern vs. No. 7 Tecia Torres
- Lightweight Bout: Vinc Pichel vs. Mark Madsen
Volkanovski vs. Jung odds
Alexander Volkanovski (23-1) looks to defend his championship for the third time on Saturday. The 145-pound champion has not lost in his UFC career (10-0), and hasn’t taken a loss since May of 2013.
His latest wins have been over Max Holloway (twice) and Brian Ortega.
Just an all-around talent, Volkanovski has relied on overwhelming his opponents his with his speed, strength, and grappling.
Chan Sung Jung (17-6) is also known as “The Korean Zombie” for his ability to take punishment and keep pressing forward.
Jung is more of a striker, which has led to inconsistent results. He hasn’t had more than three consecutive wins in his UFC career. That explains why he finds himself as such a longshot on Saturday.
Jung has the striking power, but the more the fight drags on, Volkanovski should have the advantage.
Yan vs. Sterling odds
The co-main event on Saturday probably has the most compelling story of the night.
Peter Yan (16-2) was the former UFC Bantamweight Champion. In his first title defense (March 6, 2021), he was on his way to a decision win over Aljamain Sterling (20-3), but threw an illegal knee with 31 seconds left in the fight.
That knee caused him to lose by disqualification, giving Sterling the belt.
A scheduled rematch between the two late in 2021 was scrapped due to an injury to Sterling. Yan then defeated Cory Sandhagen by decision to earn the interim title. However, he wants to prove he’s better than Sterling.
Oddsmakers think Yan is the better fighter, establishing him as the clear favorite in this rematch.
Yan was a step quicker and stronger than Sterling in the first meeting. A concern for Sterling is also that he hasn’t fought in more than a year. While motivated to prove his championship win is no fluke, he could be rusty.
A concern for Yan could be staying within himself. He’s been very angry and emotional toward Sterling heading into this fight.
Dan Le Batard offering UFC 273 parlay boost
For Saturday’s card, you can get a parlay boost of 25% at DraftKings Sportsbook MI when you select his three picks for Saturday’s card. They are:
- Khamzat Chimaev Moneyline
- Petr Yan Moneyline
- Alexander Volkanovski Moneyline
Just opt-in on the promos page and then select the boost from your bet slip before placing your wager.
How to bet on the UFC
Betting on the UFC, or MMA in general, isn’t just as basic as picking a fighter to win. There are a lot of options available to sports bettors.
The moneyline is certainly the most common. That is where you pick your fighter to win at the odds available. In the case of Saturday’s main event, a moneyline wager on Volkanovski at -720 means you’d need to wager $720 to win back $100. For Jung at +500, that means you’d win $500 for every $100 wagered.
Other MMA betting options include:
- Total Rounds: Bet on whether the fight will go the full distance, or wager on which round the fight will end. There are also over/under props on how many rounds for each fight.
- Winning Method: Bet on how the fighter will win, by KO/TKO, submission or decision. You can also add in round or specific times of the finish if you’re looking for a big payout.
- Parlays: Like most sports, MMA is open to parlay options as well. Perhaps you like some favorites, but don’t find value in betting on them in a single wager. Combine them for better odds and a higher payout.
- Live-Betting: A lot of momentum can change within a MMA fight. Odds can jump drastically from round-to-round and can be a great way to capitalize.
Also, be sure to find your best options. While DraftKings is a partner with the UFC, FanDuel Sportsbook MI, Caesars Sportsbook MI and Fox Bet Sportsbook MI all have a wide variety of MMA betting options.
