UFC 274 is finally here. The main bout has a surprising twist with one fight unable to garner his title back while two sets of fighters have not been in the ring against each other for the past 8 years.
Here is an overview of UFC 274. If you ever want to bet on a UFC event, click here to check out rankings for some of the best sports betting sites.
Oliveira VS Gaethje: The Main Event
Charles Oliveira vacated his UFC lightweight title after missing weight by half a pound. By being over the weight of a lightweight fighter, he will not be eligible to get his title back. If Justin Gaethje can secure a win on Saturday night at UFC 274, then he will be the new UFC lightweight champion of the world.
This is not the first time that Oliveira has had problems making weight. He missed weight four times in his career, the last being in 2016. Even though he will not be able to gain his title back during the bout at UFC 274, Oliveira will be sure to show off the best version of himself on Saturday night.
Namajunas VS Esparza: The Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza fought each at the UFC-TUF 20 back in December 2014. Esparza won the third round by submission at a minute and twenty-six seconds.
During UFC 274, Namajunas will try to redeem herself for this loss 8 years ago to prove her formidability as a strawweight contender against Esparza.
Namajunas trails behind Esparza in wins and losses. Esparza has 19 wins, 6 losses, and 0 draws while Namajunas has garnered 12 wins, 4 losses, and 0 draws.
Chandler VS Ferguson: Lightweight Event
Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson are very tightly matched in their scorecards. Ferguson has had 26 wins and 6 losses while Michael has had 22 wins and 7 losses. Despite Ferguson having a two inch advantage in height and 5 inches in reach, Chandler may be a tough opponent for him as they both fight southpaw with a wrestling style.
Chandler is looking to redeem himself after his losses to Oliveira and Gaethje in earlier UFC bouts. Ferguson is powerful with right jabs as Chandler has more powerful left jabs.
Rua VS Saint Preux: Light Heavyweight Event
Mauricio Rua and Ovince Saint Preux are facing off in a rematch after 8 years much like Namajunas and Esparza had that long of a time pass before their next bout.
Saint Preux took out Rua by TKO in 34 seconds of the first round during their bout 8 years ago at the UFC Fight Night 56 in November 2014. Rua’s scorecard has two more wins than Saint Preux at 27 total. Saint Preux has 4 more losses than Rua at 16 total.
For UFC 274, Rua is predicted to win against Saint Preux mainly because he wants to avenge the quick loss he endured back in 2014 on his home turf of Brazil.
Cerrone VS Lauzon: Lightweight Event
Joe Lauzon and Donald Cerrone are a few years past their peak in their careers but both are future UFC hall of famers so this lightweight event will be a must-watch on the main card.
Cerrone and Lauzon both tie in the number of losses on their scorecards at 16 total. Lauzon has 8 fewer wins than Cerrone at 28 in all.
UFC odds favor Cerrone because of his immense experience in the octagon but MMA fans know that you can never count out Lauzon even though he hasn’t stepped foot in the octagon in quite some time. It’s said that the loser of this fight will likely retire on Saturday night.
Final Thoughts About UFC 274
UFC 274 will be another exciting MMA event that shall have fans on the edge of their seats. Can Oliveira show his grit even though he cannot get his title back in this fight? Will Namajunas redeem herself against Esparza after 8 years of not fighting against each other? Watch UFC 274 on ESPN+ or stream live on pay per view on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 10 am.
