UFC 274 Full Preview
UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will put his belt on the line when he squares off against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 on May 7. Women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas will lock horns with Carla Esparza for an eagerly anticipated rematch in the co-main event. There are lots of exciting appetisers on the main card too, so it promises to be a blockbuster event. We have broken down the big fights that you can look forward to.
UFC 274 Details
The Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, will host UFC 274 on Saturday, May 7. It was initially scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro, but it will now be the first UFC event held in Phoenix since Francis Ngannou knocked out Cain Velasquez inside 26 seconds back in February 2019.
A UFC light heavyweight title fight between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka was expected to be included on the main card, but it has been pushed back to UFC 275. There are now five fights on the early preliminary card and four on the preliminary card. You can enjoy Randy Brown vs. Khaos Williams, Macy Chiasson vs. Norma Dumond, Brandon Royval vs. Matt Schnell and Blagoy Ivanov vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima before the main card gets underway.
Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje
Oliveira will defend his strap for a second time when he faces UFC royalty Gaethje next Saturday. The Brazilian superstar won the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship when he beat Michael Chandler at UFC 262. He broke the UFC record for the most finishes in the process, and earned the Performance of the Night bonus.
Do Bronx cemented his status as top dog in the lightweight division when he beat Dustin Poirier via a third-round submission at UFC 269. Poirier landed a knockdown, but Oliveira dominated the fight and ended it with a rear-naked choke. That victory extended his record for the most finishes to 18, and earned him another Performance of the Night payout.
Now he faces an arguably tougher challenge against the explosive Gaethje. The Highlight will be fighting in his home state, so he should benefit from a partisan crowd. It will be his first appearance since beating Michael Chandler at UFC 268 six months ago. Gaethje’s record now stands at 23-3, and he is No. 1 in the UFC lightweight rankings.
Oliveira is the favourite in the current spread betting odds on the fight, but it is close. The Brazilian is 10-0 since 2018, and he is now widely regarded as the most dangerous submission artist in the promotion. He is a natural athlete, his ground game is strong, he has an impressive chin and he can strike accurately.
However, he will be coming up against a ferocious opponent. Gaethje maintains a relentless, pressure-heavy style throughout his fights, throws devastating punching combinations and deploys the low calf kick with brutal efficiency. If he can keep the fight off the mat, he has an excellent chance of success, but if Oliveira manages to secure a takedown, the Brazilian should win.
Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza
Namajunas will also make her second title defence at UFC 274. Thug Rose captured the belt when she knocked out Zhang Weili with a fierce head kick at UFC 261, and she won the rematch via a split decision five months later.
She is now 11-4, but one of those defeats came at the hands of Esparza all the way back in 2014. They met in Las Vegas for the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight championship, and it was Esparza that prevailed, courtesy of a rear-naked choke in the third round.
Esparza was considered the world’s best strawweight at the time, but her fortunes have been mixed since then. She lost the belt to Joanna Jedzejczyk in 2015, and this will be her first shot at regaining it. The Californian fighter, dubbed Cookie Monster, struggled in 2018, but she has now won five in a row since 2019, and she is No. 2 in the strawweight rankings.
Namajunas is the odds-on favourite to enact revenge by beating Esparza at UFC 274. She has improved significantly over the past eight years, and she is a terrific kickboxer, which will give her a clear advantage on the outside. It could be a close fight, but Namajunas should get the job done.
Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson
Chandler is the heavy favourite to return to winning ways when he takes on Ferguson next Saturday. He has lost his last two fights, to Oliveira and Gaethje, but the three-time Bellator lightweight champion should bounce back against Ferguson.
El Cucuy also lost to Gaethje and Oliveira in 2020,before succumbing to a defeat to Beneil Dariush at UFC 262. He has been out of the Octagon for a year, and he is now 38 years of age, and he may lack the energy to keep up with his opponent over three rounds. This looks like a fight that Chandler should win comfortably.
Mauricio Rua vs. Ovince Saint Preux
Veteran light heavyweights Saint Preux and Rua will resume hostilities at UFC 274. They first met at UFC Fight Night 56 in November 2014, when OSP picked up the biggest win of his career. He was the clear underdog against a former world champion in Rua, but he earned a 34-second TKO victory.
Both men are now past their best. They are aged 39 and 40 respectively, and they have struggled in recent outings. Saint Preux lost to Tanner Bozer and Jamahal Hill in his last two fights, taking his record to 25-16, while Rua is coming off a loss to Paul Craig. It should be an entertaining bout, but OSP is the clear favourite.
Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon
Legendary welterweight Cowboy Cerrone will aim to reignite his career when he tangles with Lauzon in Phoenix. He is currently tied with Jim Miller for the most wins in UFC history with 23, but he has not been able to add to his tally since beating Al Iaquinta in 2019.
Since then, Cowboy has lost to Ferguson, Gaethje, Conor McGregor and Alex Moreno, while his bout with Niko Price was deemed a no contest. He is expected to get the better of Lauzon in this clash, as Lauzon is 2-4 in his last six fights and has not stepped into the Octagon in two years.
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