The Bottom Line: Profiles in Validation

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Entering UFC 273 on Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida, a proud competitor found himself doubted in a way he never had been over the course of a decade-long, highly successful professional career. Despite taking on an opponent with only four Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts to his name, he found himself a nearly 5-to-1 underdog in some sportsbooks. When he fought for the welterweight title against the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world in 2021, the odds against him were only half as long. Gilbert Burns was thoroughly counted out in many circles.

In the same arena, a champion also found himself questioned. The way Aljamain Sterling won the UFC bantamweight title a little more than a year ago was certainly not how he planned it, but he was hit with a hard illegal blow and the disqualification was warranted. It was not as if this was a glancing shot thrown just as Sterling became grounded. This was still a great fighter with wins over many of his division’s best. Yet, like Burns, he was counted out, going from a pick’-em fight the first time against Petr Yan to an over 3-1 underdog. That was based on the perception that Yan dominated the previous fight, despite the judges having it 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28 at the time of the foul.

MMA is often cruel to sentimental hope. Chan Sung Jung was easily the biggest crowd favorite among heavy underdogs at UFC 273, and he got steamrolled by Alexander Volkanovski. Yet in the cases of Burns and Sterling, they sent emphatic statements about who they are as fighters in the face of doubt and even mockery. Burns lost to Khamzat Chimaev and Sterling’s decision win over Yan was razor-thin, but they both earned something of tremendous value: validation.

Time will tell just how good Chimaev is at 170 pounds. He is not in a weak division where he can rise to the top without proving much. To reach championship status, he is going to have go through the likes of Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, which is no easy task. Heading into his fight with Burns however, Chimaev was riding a wave of hype that rarely comes along in MMA. His fight was the most buzzed-about bout on the card—even above two title fights. He was a massive favorite against a much more credentialed opponent. All this attention came without an outsized personality or overwhelming charisma; it came first and foremost from genuine belief about his skills as a fighter.

Burns in the buildup was framed and perceived not as the No. 2-ranked contender in the division but just another step in the staircase for Chimaev. That proved to be a flawed assessment. Chimaev’s first four UFC opponents combined to land one significant strike on Chimaev. Burns landed 119, including plenty of heavy punches that took their toll. Burns’ improved striking for years has been downplayed because of his world-class jiu-jitsu, but it’s likely he will get more credit on that count moving forward.

It’s not often that a top contender raises his stock while losing a fight to a much lower ranked opponent, but that’s what happened with Burns. It’s possible that could change if Chimaev struggles in his next few fights, but for now, the loss—more than his wins over Stephen Thompson or Tyron Woodley—will serve for many fans as the strongest affirmation of Burns’ ability.

The dynamic of Sterling-Yan 2 was much different than Burns-Chimaev. It wasn’t that Yan’s hype overwhelmed Sterling. Rather, observers saw the first fight and concluded Yan was definitively the better fighter. It’s an understandable belief given Yan did get the better of the striking exchanges the first time out, but it did underestimate Sterling’s ability to implement a different game plan, particularly since his grappling has always been a bigger strength than his standup.

There was some controversy over the decision, but there really shouldn’t have been. Sterling dominated the second and third rounds on the ground, and the second round in particular was practically a model 10-8 round. Add in the fact that Sterling outlanded Yan in the first and there’s little room to complain about the decision, even if you scored it 48-47 (the only possible score where Yan wins).

For Sterling, it has to be the sweetest of wins. If he won the bantamweight title by disqualification and then lost it in the rematch, it’s hardly an accolade he can look back on with particular pride 20 years from now. After the second Yan fight, he clearly earned his championship and he can shove it in the face of those who mocked and disrespected him over the way their first encounter transpired. Neither Sterling nor Burns should have been so casually dismissed heading into UFC 273, and it’s unlikely either will be next time out.