Phoenix, Arizona will be a Thrill, Agony and full of excitement for the full stack fights at UFC 274 Main Event .
The UFC 274 took place in the Valley of the Sun, with a pile of combat cards led by Charles Oliveira of Brazil facing Justin Gaethje of Arizona.
There was drama on Friday as Oliveira was stripped of his lightweight title for failing to make the weight. Which means only Gaethje can only win the belt. And if Charles win he will be the No.1 contender at Lightweight. At the big event, Rose Namajunas defended her strawweight title against American teammate Carla Esparza in a rematch eight years. Esparza defeated Namajunas to become the first UFC champion of 115 pounds.
On the undercard, Michael Chandler faces Tony Ferguson in a battle that many fans expect him to be the villains of the show.
Lightweight Title on a cut loss with Charles or new champ in Justin
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Justin Gaethje, 33, has a terrible reputation throughout MMA.
His nickname is ‘Human Highlight Reel’ which refers to the shocking number on his CV, which includes 20 stops in 23 fights.
Formerly called a reckless fighter, Gaethje is now as merciless as they came. His brutality is commended by his professionalism and good manners. However, the American man is yet to become an undisputed lightweight champion, failing when he played Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020. Now, when he faces Oliveira he gets a chance again, and he has told BBC Sport how it would feel to win the title in front of his fans in Arizona.
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“The only thing I can think of, and I’ve thought about four times – is that he [Oliveira] is asleep,” Gaethje said.
“I want [winning the title] to feel as clean as possible and it will sound amazing.”
Despite attracting fans to Arizona the presence of Gaethje, Oliveria is one of the biggest names in sports. The 32-year-old won the belt last year defeating Chandler before successfully defending it in December by strangling Dustin Poirier.
He has won 10 times in a row, finished in all but one, and 15 nominations in all his UFC career – most in promotional history. Chandler has fought both fighters recently, and he believes it will be Gaethje who raises his hand.
Michael Chandler on the Main event
“If anyone is going to fade, it will be Oliveira, even though we have seen Oliveira strong and resilient in the last few battles,” Chandler told BBC Sport.
“I still think Gaethje is strong at beating, strength, punching and punching, chin, cardio and being tough. So, if I were a betting man, I would have invested my money in Justin Gaethje but one thing we have learned about Oliveira is that you can’t count him.”
Will Namajunas avenge Esparza’s defeat in the co-main card event
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It has been eight years since Esparza sent Namajunas to become the first UFC champion at strawweight. Since that war however, both military operations have followed different paths.
Namajunas, 29, has risen quickly and has established himself as one of the best 115-pound fighters in the world, becoming a two-time strawweight champion. Meanwhile, Esparza has been on the rise ever since.
He lost his next fight with Joanna Jędrzejczyk in 2015 and after that struggled to cover a number of wins until 2019. The 34-year-old now joins the Namajunas after winning five fights.
“There are a lot of emotions, but I say, ‘finally the war has come’,” Esparza said.
“I think in terms of style we both have the same backgrounds. But when we first fought, he [Namajunas] was very rude in sports.
“She’s more comfortable on the big stage now and that will play a big role – she was dangerous then and now.”
Will Chandler and Ferguson steal the game At 274 ” The HEAT Main Card Event”
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Chandler v Ferguson has all the ingredients to be top notch but both fighters need to win. Chandler, 36, has been seen as an exciting UFC store since he first appeared in January 2021 but lost in two of his three fights.
Meanwhile, Ferguson – once regarded as one of the best lights in the world – will be defeated three times. Many now believe that Ferguson’s best days are behind him but Chandler refuses.
“He will probably be very dangerous,” Chandler told BBC Sport.
“The thing that makes Tony so shocked is that he is unpredictable, no living man can help you prepare for him.
“That’s why everyone will be on the edge of their seat and that’s why we’re going to steal this plan.”
Also Read: UFC 274 Charles Oliveira Vs Justin Gaethje : Fight Card, PPV Payouts, Streaming and Sponsorship
