The fight that every wrestling fan has been waiting for is finally confirmed. Lightweight Justin Gaethje ‘The Highlight’ is set to battle it against Charles Oliveira ‘do Bronx,’ the current titleholder, at UFC 274. The pay-per-view event will be on May 7 at Footprint Centre in Phoenix, Arizona.
Those who follow up on Gaethje and Oliveira know that this is a very dangerous match-up that is not expected to last long. To spice up the fight, you can choose to place a bet on who you think will most likely win. Most bookmarkers that offer live betting in Canada seem to favour Oliveira, highlighting Gaethje as the underdog.
Oliveira and Gaethje Feats
Gaethje will be coming off his win against Chandler in what was considered the 2021 Fight of the Year, which aired on November 6 at UFC 268. The former lightweight champion has an outstanding record of five wins in his last six bouts, with four knockouts. His only setback within that stretch was during the title unification fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254, where he was submitted.
For Olivera, this will be the first fight since UFC 269 where he submitted Dustin Poirier during the third round and successfully defended his title. That marked the CBS Sports Fighter of the Year runner-up’s 10th successive win, including nine finishes. He managed to submit Kevin Lee and land a TKO victory against Michael Chandler to claim the vacant strap within this streak.
Fighters Stats So Far
Oliveira has proved himself a dominant force within the UFC lightweight division after overcoming a lowly 2-4 run in the Octagon with a high 10-fight win streak. Gaethje is dangerous, too, as he is looking to extend the current 5-1 win-loss record. UFC 274 will be Gaethjes’s second shot at the belt since UFC 254 and will also mark the second time Oliveira defends his title.
- Justin Gaethje: 23-3-0 (Win-Loss-Draw), 19-2 (TKO), 1-1 (SUB)
- Charles Oliveira: 32-8-0 (Win-Loss-Draw), 9-4 (TKO), 20-3 (SUB)
Who Will Win? Gaethje or Oliveira
Gaethje vs Oliveira is an interesting match-up to predict. On the one hand, Gaethje is known for his dynamic strikes, which he throws with the intention of landing a knockout. And on the other hand, Oliveira is a formidable submission artist that locks opposing fighters quickly to win by submission.
That being said, Oliveira has drawn a lot of recognition from popular bookmarkers like BetUS and Betway. The current lightweight champ will open up the fight as a -155 favourite to best Gaethje. That means you can wager $155 on Oliveira, keeping the title to win $100. As for the underdog, Gaethje has +125 odds, so you’ll need to wager $100 to earn $135 on the fighter, becoming the new UFC lightweight champion. Oliveira’s odds represent a potential win probability of 60.78%, while Gaethje’s odds translate to a win probability of 44.44%.
Get Ready for Top-Tier Entertainment at UFC 274
All in all, the brawl between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje will be both intense and fast-paced. Expect Gaethje to land some heavy strikes and Oliveira to use his impressive locking technique to try to win and retain the UFC lightweight championship title. While Oliveira is assumed to have the edge over Gaethje, the underdog’s experience cannot be overlooked.