UFC 273 Odds, Props: Volkanovski A Heavy Favorite Over Korean Zombie

UFC 273 takes center stage Saturday, and the sports betting market fully expects featherweight Alexander Volkanovski to be the star of the show. UFC 273 odds have Volkanovski as a decisive favorite to retain his title over Chan Sung Jung, aka The Korean Zombie. A look around the market Friday morning reveals Volkanovski available for -675 at DraftKings, with BetMGM dealing +550 on The Korean Zombie.

The card is set for VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

Physically, the two fighters have a great deal in common. Volkanovski stands 5-foot-6, weighs 144 pounds, and has a 71-inch reach, according to ESPN’s Fight Center.  The Korean Zombie stands 5-foot-7, weighs 146 pounds, and has a 72-inch reach.

At 33, Australia’s Volkanovski has a two-year age advantage over the native of South Korea, but that’s not a major factor in the octagon.

Oddsmakers, though, understandably favor the champion based on his body of work. Volkanovski is 23-1 and has steadily made his mark with 20-straight wins, including recent victories over Brian Ortega, Max Halloway (twice), Jose Aldo, and Chad Mendes.

Recent Form: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie

Volkanovski’s coming off a unanimous decision win over Ortega at UFC 266 back in September.

Volkanovski earned the featherweight title with a unanimous decision over then-champion Max Holloway at UFC 245 in December 2019. He then retained his title at UFC 251 with a superior decision against Holloway in July 2020.

Jung, the fourth-ranked featherweight in UFC,  is coming off a unanimous decision win over Dan Ige last June. That bout got him back on the winning track after losing to Ortega in October 2020. Jung carries a 17-6 mark into the octagon against Volkanovski.

Volkanovski vs. Jung Props

DraftKings is offering a healthy menu of props for Volkanovski vs. Jung. Here are some odds. current as of Friday morning. On the method of victory prop Volkanovski is the clear favorite, yet the -125 price is far more palatable than the large line he lays for an outright win.

Method of Victory Props

-Volkanovski by KO/TKO/DQ +180
-Volkanovski by submission +1000
-Volkanovski by decision -125
-Draw +5000
-Jung by KO/TKO/DQ +1000
-Jung by submission +1800
-Jung by decision +1600

Will Fight Go The Distance

Yes -135; No +100

Round Props

When it comes to Round Props, Volkanovski starts at +550 to win in the first round up to +1800 if he ends it in the fifth and final round. According to the odds, the market expects a finish by Volkanovski to come earlier in the fight rather than later, opening potential value for a late-round KO.  That said, seven of his last nine wins have come by decision.

Jung’s Round Props start at +2200 if you wager on him ending it in the first round and reach +5500 if he wins in the fifth.

Yan Favored Over Sterling In Co-Main Event

In a unification bantamweight bout, Peter Yan is -475 at DraftKings to beat Aljamain Sterling (+350).

Sterling’s the champion, yet he’s the underdog in a bout that features plenty of bad blood dating back to how Sterling became the champion at UFC 259.

Yan was disqualified for an illegal knee to Sterling’s head that was ruled intentional.

“I thought the fight was very close; I thought I was down two rounds,” Sterling said afterwards, according to ESPN. “That’s not the way I wanted to win.”

Sterling said he understood there was bad blood between the two, but said it was all part of the rivalry.

Yan apologized at the time and has since gone on to win an interim title. As Saturday’s bout has drawn near, Yan’s mindset has changed since that initial apology.

“I don’t respect him as a human being, nor as a fighter,” Yan said, according to UFC’s website.

And in case you’re thinking that was just one comment, rest assured Yan had more to say.

“It will feel good to put my hands on him and hurt him; it’s about time he will pay for everything he said,” Yan said of Sterling.

Welterweight Khamzat Chimaev Favored Over Gilbert Burns

Burns is the No. 2 welterweight in UFC but a decisive underdog to No. 11 Chimaev, who has been impressive in his four UFC bouts thus far, ending all of those opponents inside of two rounds with mix of KOs and submissions.

Chimaev is -475 at DraftKings, with Burns at +350. Another decisive win will move Chimaev a step closer to a title shot.

More Odds On UFC 273 Undercard

Here’s a quick look at the odds for the two remaining bouts on the main card (ESPN+):

In a woman’s strawweight matchup, DraftKings has Mackenzie Dern (-120) favored over Tecia Torres (+100).

In a lightweight bout, Vinc Pichel is -125 at DraftKings, with Mark Madsen +105

Also read: Betting Baseball In Ontario: How To Read MLB Odds | NFL Season Win Totals 2022