Sport
UFC 274 preview: Violence is on the cards for the main event
With one of the most exciting cards of the year so far, including two title fights, UFC 274 is set to be another unmissable event for MMA fans.
As well as a stacked main event where Justin Gaethje challenges a seemingly-unstoppable Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title, Rose Namajunas will defend her strawweight crown against Carla Esparza and Tony Ferguson returns for an explosive lightweight match up with Michael Chandler.
We preview the best of the action below.
Charles Oliveira v Justin Gaethje
This lightweight main event is a long-anticipated war between two highly accomplished fighters, battling it out for the Lightweight title. Both fighters are in their prime, and this main event is sure to send sparks flying.
Oliveira is undefeated since 2018, having won all his last 10 fights, with only one of these going to decision. Six of those wins came by way of submission, and three by KO/TKO, bringing him to the top of the leaderboard for the most submissions of all time in any weight class of the UFC. Take Oliveira to win by submission at 13/10.
Last out Oliveira submitted Dustin Poirier in the third round with a rear-naked choke, after holding his own well in the stand up, where Poirier was supposed to hold the advantage.
Oliveira has an unstoppable look about him of late, dominating in both the striking as well as in the ground game, It’s no wonder he is the favourite at 4/7. He is a jiu-jitsu specialist, and his skill in this area is what has accelerated his meteoric rise, from the Favelas of Brazil to becoming the undisputed UFC champion of the lightweight division.
Gaethje’s record speaks for itself with 23 wins and just three losses, with 19 of those wins coming by knockout. His last bout against Michael Chandler in 2021, a bloody war from start to finish, was named fight of the year by the UFC. Both men threw caution to the win from the opening bell, with both men proving they had the ability to take the best the other had to offer. With a title on the line this time though, you might expect Gaethje to take a more measured approach this time around and will be very cautious of straying anywhere where the champion can maximise his jiu-jitsu advantage.
To secure the victory Gaethje will want to keep this fight on the feet for as long as possible. None of Gaethje’s losses have been through decision, and the Chandler fight was his first bout to go the distance since 2014. The odds on the fight going this distance are 10/3, but with both men having a habit of ending fights early, this five-round main event looks unlikely to go the full 25.
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Rose Namajunas v Carla Esparza
There is no more exciting women’s division in the UFC currently than the strawweight division, as Namajunas and Esparza face each other for their rematch. However, this time there is a belt on the line.
Namajunas shocked the world when she stole the title from Zhang Weili with a round one finish last year, earning her a performance of the night bonus following the clean head kick knockout. She then defended her title when last out, again defeating Weili in a bout that she won by split decision after five rounds. The odds for Namajunas to win by decision are 17/10.
Namajunas fighting style is focused on forward movement while pressuring her opponents with jabs and high kicks, as well as the rest of her well-developed striking toolkit. And despite having improved her striking game significantly in recent years, Namajunas still has five submission victories, more than her wins by decision or knockout. Namajunas by submission is priced at 5/1.
Esparza won the previous bout between the two fighters by submission, which took place in 2014. She will look to repeat the performance against Namajunas yet is currently the underdog at 7/4.
Esparza has won her last five bouts and has a record of 18 wins and only six defeats in total, and an equal number of submissions and knockouts. In her last appearance she won by TKO in the second round, and if you fancy her to repeat that performance, it’s 13/2 about her winning by KO/TKO/DQ.
Tony Ferguson v Michael Chandler
These two are fearless, often begging to be hit with more shots when in the octagon. Suffice to say this lightweight bout is likely to have fans on the edge of their seats.
Chandler is the heavy favourite going into this match up at 1/4, coming off back-to-back losses against both participants in the main event, Oliveira and Gaethje.
In 2021, Chandler broke into the UFC with a round one knockout against Dan Hooker, and his fan base has grown massively since those first three fights in the UFC due to his fearless brawling style and wilingness to take damage.
His record is currently 22 wins and seven losses against top class opponents. Given that Ferguson has a five-inch reach advantage, Chandler will want to keep the fight up close and personal, and not let his opponent touch him from distance.
Ferguson is a household name in the MMA world, always putting on a display of violence when he steps in the ring. He boasts an impressive record of 25 wins and six losses, and before his current losing streak he went undefeated for 12 bouts. Not only does Ferguson possess impressive striking ability with dangerous elbows, but he also has dangerous submission skills.
Ferguson is currently on a three-fight losing streak; however, his last two bouts saw him being controlled on the ground for most of it by Oliveira and Beneil Dariush. This fight will be a good opportunity to stand and bang with one of the best in the game. It would no doubt be a big win for the seventh-ranked contender, and if he can achieve a knockout against someone with a chin like Chandler then it would send a big message to the division. The odds of Ferguson winning by stoppage are 6/1.
