5 Fights to make after UFC 273
Now that UFC 273 has come and gone, the matchmakers will be tasked with what to do next for each fighter.
The atmosphere at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena was electric and added to the overall experience. The main event was equally impressive and saw Alexander Volkanovski retain his featherweight championship for the third time. It was a reminder of just how great of a fighter he is when compared to others in the 145 lb division.
The bout was so one-sided that referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop it in the fourth round. In doing so, he protected Chan Sung Jung from receiving further damage. The champion said that he wants to remain active this year, so his dominant win could lead to a quick turnaround. This list will look at five fights to make following UFC 273.
#5. Former UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns vs. loser of Belal Muhammad vs. Vicente Luque
Since he was defeated by the No. 11 ranked welterweight, Gilbert Burns will drop a few spots in the UFC welterweight rankings. He was the No. 2 ranked welterweight ahead of his bout with Chimaev and lost via unanimous decision. It was a significant risk as a win could have gotten him one-step closer to a potential rematch with Usman.
Despite his latest setback, ‘Durinho’ is still one of the top fighters in the division. A bout against the fighter who comes out on the losing end of Belal Muhammad vs. Vicente Luque would make sense.
Muhammad and Luque are scheduled to compete in a rematch at this weekend’s Fight Night card. Their first encounter took place in 2016, during which ‘The Silent Assassin’ knocked out Muhammad in 1:19 of the first round. Whoever comes up short in the rematch would be a logical opponent for Burns as they’d be coming off a loss.