What is Next for UFC 273 Fighters After UFC 273?
I think we can all agree that UFC 273 was pretty crazy. From Khamzat Chimaev proving that he was worth the hype to Alexander Volkanovski defending his belt for the third time, it certainly showed what MMA fans watch UFC for.
Khamzat Chimaev
Many people suggested that he should fight again after he beat Gilbert Burns before he fights Kamaru Usman, and I somewhat agree with this statement. Gilbert Burns is the hardest matchup that Khamzat Chimaev can have in welterweight because of Gilbert Burns’s BJJ (Brazilian jiu-jitsu.) The only fight that would make sense before Khamzat fights for the title would be against Colby Covington. The only issue with this fight is the fact that ‘Chaos’ might not accept the fight. Colby Covington still has a lot of beef with Jorge Masvidal even though they have fought, so it may make more sense if Covington took that fight instead. Theoretically speaking, I think Khamzat Chimaev should fight Colby Covington before he fights for the title against Kamaru Usman, but if Covington does not take that fight, I think Chimaev should get an immediate title shot.
Gilbert Burns
Gilbert Burns made a statement about his loss, and he said that he was not giving up until he got the belt, so he is obviously not planning on retiring. I think a logical matchup for Gilbert Burns is for him to fight the winner of the upcoming fight Belal Muhammad vs. Vincente Luque.
Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan
Aljamain and Petr’s fight went to decision. UFC president Dana White said that he disagreed with the judge’s decision for Sterling to retain his belt. I never thought I would say this, but I think that there should be a trilogy between Aljamain and Petr.
Alexander Volkanovski
I think it is fair to say that Volkanovski dominated the Korean Zombie. Volkanovski was supposed to fight Max Holloway at UFC 272 as the main event, but that was cancelled because Max Holloway got injured and the main event was replaced by Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal. Max Holloway is now able to fight and I don’t think that Alexander Volkanovski took too much damage in his fight last night, so they could fight relatively soon.
Chan Sung Jung (The Korean Zombie)
I honestly don’t know what is next for the Korean Zombie. I think that is dependent on whether or not he decides to retire.
I think these fights make the most sense for these fighters. Whether they happen? We will see, but I think they are the most logical conclusions from UFC 273.
