The UFC’s most prolific finisher returns to defend his title as Charlies Oliveira puts his UFC lightweight title on the line against one of the most exciting fighters of his, or any other, generation at UFC 274.
Oliveira takes on former interim champion Justin Gaethje in a battle that has the fans’ anticipation building as fight week gets underway in Phoenix, Arizona.
Oliveira is a pure finisher, with more inside-the-distance wins (18) than any fighter in UFC history. Gaethje, meanwhile, more than lives up to his fighting moniker of “The Highlight.” His fights are fast becoming the stuff of legend, with his 2021 bout with Michael Chandler already being discussed as one of the greatest fights ever seen inside the UFC octagon.
But now Gaethje needs to convert that crowd-pleasing style into a championship-calibre performance, and he is making all the right noises ahead of his bout with Oliveira, who proved that all he needed to become the undisputed UFC champion was a chance. He took that chance against Chandler in their battle for the vacant title last year, and Oliveria cemented his status with a third-round submission of former interim champion Dustin Poirier last December.
The bout looks sure to deliver a spectacular bout and, ahead of the matchup, you can check out the UFC’s pre-fight film, UFC 274 Countdown, which tells the pre-fight story of the bout, with opinions from both fighters and their teams.
