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The UFC is headed to the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona for UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje. Headlined by a pair of title fights and a series of intriguing matchups, the pay-per-view will take place on Saturday, May 7.
In the main event, Charles Oliveira will put his lightweight title on the line against former interim titleholder Justin Gaethje. 'Do Bronx' will look to register his second successful title defense since capturing the vacant 155-pound title by beating Michael Chandler in May 2021.
Taking the co-main event spot will be a women's strawweight title showdown between 115-pound champion Rose Namajunas and No.2-ranked Carla Esparza. The former champion will look to go 2-0 up against the current titleholder and capture the prestigious strawweight crown in the process. 'Cookie Monster' holds a win over 'Thug' from their bout in December 2014.
In another intriguing matchup, Michael Chandler will look to solidify his place in the lightweight rankings after suffering two consecutive losses in the promotion. 'El Cucuy' will also seek to make the most of his opportunity this weekend and end a three-fight skid.
UFC 274: Can Justin Gaethje pull off a win against Charles Oliveira in his second shot at lightweight gold?
Justin Gaethje fell to undefeated former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov when the two battled in the main event of UFC 254 in October 2020. Gaethje earned his second crack at the 155-pound title with a thrilling performance against Michael Chandler last November.
'The Highlight' now hopes to have a victory flip in his upcoming title bout against reigning 155-pound king Charles Oliveira this weekend. However, the Safford native will be in for a tough challenge as the Brazilian will likely pose a similar threat to 'The Eagle' with his grappling prowess. With that in mind, Gaethje's best chances are on the feet and inside striking range with the champion.
Oliveira is the favorite going into the bout this Saturday and it's not hard to see why the odds are stacked in his favor.
The Brazilian is riding a 10-fight win streak and holds the record for most submission victories in the promotion's history. Six of his past 10 wins inside the octagon have come via submission. Oliveira's elite grappling is also likely to play a huge factor in the outcome of the title showdown when he makes his title defense against 'The Highlight' this weekend.
Watch UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje fight preview below:
