UFC 273: Five things we learned as Alexander Volkanovski dominates 'Korean Zombie'

Volkanovski earned a performance-of-the-night bonus for his win over Chan Sung Jung

Alexander Volkanovski cemented his status as the world's best featherweight with a flawless victory over the 'Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung at UFC 273 in Jacksonville, Florida.

The Australian outclassed his South Korean opponent as he secured a fourth-round TKO victory to retain his title on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Aljamain Sterling beat bitter rival Petr Yan to unify the bantamweight division, and Khamzat Chimaev justified his hype with a thrilling victory over Gilbert Burns.

Here are five things we learned from UFC 273.

1. Volkanovski is better than ever

Unbeaten in 20 fights before Saturday's featherweight title defence, the world already knew about Volkanovski's skills - but he showed yet another level to his ability in his win over Jung.

The 33-year-old dissected Jung from head to toe, landing chopping leg kicks and laser-like punches, and winning the grappling exchanges throughout.

• Volkanovski dominates 'Korean Zombie' at UFC 273

The difference in levels was evident as Volkanovski got his hand raised following the victory, with the champion's face spotless in comparison to the bloodied, swollen features of his 35-year-old opponent.

UFC commentator Joe Rogan called it "a seminar on striking and movement" from Volkanovski.

With 11 straight victories in the UFC and three title defences, Volkanovski is a step closer to securing his goal of becoming the greatest UFC featherweight of all time.

2. The 'Zombie' lives up to his nickname

Chan Sung Jung's nickname the 'Korean Zombie' derives from his ability to keep moving forward aggressively in a zombie-like manner despite taking heavy damage, and this was on full display in Jacksonville.

From the first round, Jung was outclassed by Volkanovski's counter striking, but never deviated from his game plan of pushing forward and applying pressure.

Such was the durability of the Zombie, it took a fourth-round stoppage from referee Herb Dean to end the fight, despite Jung still being on his feet.

The decision was praised by MMA fans and pundits, who saw it as preventing any more unneeded punishment to Jung in a fight he never looked like winning.

3. Chimaev justifies the hype

With four dominant first-round finishes in his first four fights in the UFC, the hype around Khamzat Chimaev going into the bout with Gilbert Burns had been at fever pitch.

UFC president Dana White said last week the social media engagement surrounding the 27-year-old was six to seven times higher than the other fighters on the card.

The Swede has proven his elite technical and physical qualities inside the octagon, but a couple of questions remained - does he have the mental qualities to compliment his in-ring skills, and can he do it against a top-ranked, seasoned opponent like Burns?

The answer, after his epic unanimous decision victory, is yes.

UFC commentator Jon Anik said the bout was "the craziest fight I've ever called -100%" as both fighters went back and forth over three rounds, trading heavy blows and knockdowns.

Burns provided the kind of test Chimaev has never faced before in the UFC - but he passed.

4. Sterling deserves respect

For 13 months, critics have hung question marks over Aljamain Sterling's pedigree as the UFC bantamweight champion due to the manner in which he won the title.

Seemingly behind on the scorecards going into the fourth round against Petr Yan in March 2021, Sterling was the victim of an illegal knee from his Russian opponent, which left him unable to continue - but winner of the fight by disqualification.

The American was victorious, but not in the fashion he envisioned, and for some critics he was seen as a placeholder champion until the rematch took place.

On Saturday, after five technical rounds in which Sterling's high level jiu-jitsu proved the difference, the 32-year-old secured a split decision win to unify the division and silence any lingering doubts over his legitimacy as champion.

The record books now say Sterling 2-0 Yan, laying this fierce rivalry to rest - at least for now.

Sterling called out former champion TJ Dillashaw after the fight, but with Yan claiming he thought the judges scored it wrong in his post-fight interview, it leaves the possibility of a third bout open for the future.

5. Not everyone is convinced by Garry

Ireland's Ian Garry moved his UFC record to 2-0 with a win over Darian Weeks on the prelims, but it was in far less spectacular fashion to his debut fight in November, when he knocked out Jordan Williams.

Garry, nicknamed 'The Future', earned a unanimous decision victory in Jacksonville to extend his professional record to 9-0.

The victory left some fans feeling underwhelmed, however.

Garry has previously likened himself to Conor McGregor, but UFC fans and pundits feel he still has some work to do to reach those levels, both inside and outside the octagon.

At 24 years old, though, there is still plenty of time for Garry to live up to the comparisons.