‘You’re going to see f****** greatness, let’s go!’: Alexander Volkanovski pumps up crowd for UFC 273

Alexander Volkanovski made his intentions clear ahead of his UFC 273 clash with Chan Sung Jung by assuring the crowd they would see ‘f****** greatness’ in Florida.

The undefeated featherweight champion pumped up the crowd in Jacksonville as all the fighters took to the stage to face off during the ceremonial weigh ins.  

Interviewed on stage by Joe Rogan at the weigh in, Volkanovski was asked what Saturday night’s fight meant to him, and the Aussie did not hold back.

Alexander Volkanovski fired up the crowd in Jacksonville, Florida ahead of UFC 273 on Saturday

The Australian featherweight champion tops the bill against The Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung 

‘Jacksonville, fire up!’ he shouted. ‘We’re putting it on! We’re going to f****** war and you’re going to see f****** greatness. Let’s go!’  

Volkanovski headlines the bill against The Korean Zombie as he looks to add another successful title defence to his honours list. Both fighters maintained discipline as they stared the other down on stage. 

Far from being the only mouth-watering fight on the card, things became slightly more heated between bantamweight fighters Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan.

Aljamain Sterling (left) had some choice words for opponent Petr Yan (right) as UFC chief Dana White intervened

This was unsurprising given the chequered history the two fighters share. Yan lost his belt to Sterling after striking him down with an idiotic illegal knee, having outclassed him for the duration. 

Sterling has rubbed it in ever since, and it is more than likely an exchange of words on the matter on stage led to UFC chief Dana White having to come between the American and the Russian before things escalated. 

Tensions also had to be settled at the weigh in between the massively hyped Russian Khamzat Chimaev and his Brazilian opponent Gilbert Burns. 

White was also called upon to step in between Gilbert Burns (left) and Khamzat Chimaev (right)

Both fighters looked to be on the edge of coming to blows before White stepped in to separate them. 

The excitement around Chimaev, who has blown his four previous UFC opponents away, is matched only by the knowledge that Burns is by far his toughest challenge.  

The official weigh ins were conducted in the morning before the fighters had hydrated.