5 great UFC fights to look forward to in May

#2. Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza – UFC 274

Will Rose Namajunas' rematch with Carla Esparza end differently to their first fight back in 2014?

One of UFC 274’s title bouts is a rematch of an initial fight that took place way back in 2014. To make it even more interesting, it’s also a clash of styles that pits a deadly striker against one of the slickest grapplers in the promotion.

Rose Namajunas first faced off against Carla Esparza in the UFC’s inaugural strawweight title bout at the end of TUF 20. The fight ended with the more experienced ‘Cookie Monster’ choking ‘Thug Rose’ out after dominating her on the ground.

It’s safe to say that plenty has changed since then. Namajunas has defeated the likes of Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Jessica Andrade and, most recently, Zhang Weili to establish herself as the top 115lber in the world. She’s also the only fighter to hold the title on two separate occasions.

Esparza, meanwhile, looked likely to become a footnote in UFC history like other inaugural titleholders such as Dave Menne and Jens Pulver. Instead, she’s put together an excellent record and is currently on a five-fight winning streak dating back to 2019.

Interestingly, though, in many ways they’re the same fighters they were back in 2014. Esparza’s offense still centers around her wrestling and ground skills, even if her striking has improved, while Namajunas remains deadly with strikes and submissions, but has question marks over her takedown defense.

Their first fight was memorable simply because it was the UFC’s first strawweight title bout, but this one promises to be a better fight overall. If both women fight to their potential, it could end up as one of the best fights in May.

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#1. Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje – UFC 274

Justin Gaethje will be looking to unseat Charles Oliveira in May's biggest fight

There’s absolutely no doubt that the biggest and potentially the best fight on tap in May is the UFC lightweight title bout between champion Charles Oliveira and top contender Justin Gaethje. Basically, this is the kind of fight that has the potential to produce an all-time classic.

Both men are not only riding high at the top of their division right now, but they’re also amongst the most exciting fighters to ever enter the octagon. Regardless of the opposition, they both come looking to take their foe out.

Oliveira, of course, is on a better run right now. ‘Do Bronx’ has not lost a fight in nearly five years, has beaten 10 opponents in a row, and only one of them, Tony Ferguson, was able to take him the distance.

Gaethje, meanwhile, earned this shot by defeating Michael Chandler in an absolute thriller last November. ‘The Highlight’ has won five of his last six bouts, with the only loss coming to the now-retired Khabib Nurmagomedov. He holds wins over the likes of Tony Ferguson and Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone.

So who will take this one? Oliveira will probably come in as the favorite, but Gaethje has the kind of power to knock anyone out. If he lands on ‘Do Bronx’ as Chandler did in their bout, we’ll probably see a new champion crowned.

More importantly, though, with a total of 25 performance bonus awards between them, there’s absolutely no chance that this fight is going to be anything but a thriller. The likelihood of it being the best fight in May is about as high as it gets.