Tag: Justin Gaethje

Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje Official For UFC 274 Headliner

UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will make his next title defense against former interim champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 274. The UFC confirmed the booking during the UFC 272 broadcast. Oliveira is coming off of his first successful title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269. After withstanding an early barrage from Poirier, Oliveira was…

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UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will make his next title defense against former interim champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 274.

The UFC confirmed the booking during the UFC 272 broadcast.

Oliveira is coming off of his first successful title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269. After withstanding an early barrage from Poirier, Oliveira was able to impose his will with his signature grappling and submit Poirier in Round 3.

Oliveira earned the then-vacant lightweight title over Michael Chandler at UFC 262 following dominant wins over Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee.

Gaethje will get his second shot at the UFC lightweight title after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254. He had earned the interim belt by defeating Ferguson at UFC 249 via fifth-round TKO.

Before getting the shot against Oliveira, Gaethje won a barnburner against Chandler at UFC 268. He won the fight via a unanimous decision in arguably one of the most exciting fights in UFC history.

While there isn’t any notable bad blood between Oliveira and Gaethje, there has been some verbal banter between the two sides. Gaethje has recently said that he plans to make Oliveira quit in their matchup, while Oliveira has called Gaethje a “phony” following their post-UFC 269 run-in.

The booking comes amidst an interesting lightweight title picture. Islam Makhachev is expected to face Beneil Dariush in a re-scheduled bout later this year, while Conor McGregor is looking to return in the summer.

UFC 274 is scheduled to take place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ on May 7.

What is your prediction for Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje?

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Islam Makhachev Answers If He’d Be A Backup For Oliveira/Gaethje

UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev is waiting to wait as long as it takes for the next lightweight title shot in Abu Dhabi and not as a backup. Makhachev has now won 10 in a row, with the latest coming against short-notice replacement Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 49 last weekend. It didn’t take long…

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UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev is waiting to wait as long as it takes for the next lightweight title shot in Abu Dhabi and not as a backup.

Makhachev has now won 10 in a row, with the latest coming against short-notice replacement Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 49 last weekend. It didn’t take long for Makhachev to get a feel for Green’s gameplan and to finish the fight on the ground.

Makhachev has emerged as arguably the top lightweight contender who could face the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje. Oliveira and Gaethje are slated to meet in the main event of UFC 274 on May 7.

One element of conversation has been who could serve as the backup for the UFC 274 main event. During his UFC Vegas 49 post-fight press conference, Makhachev appeared to downplay the idea of serving as the backup and weighing in.

“For step-in, we have some guys like dos Anjos or Michael Chandler,” Makhachev said. “But (I deserve the title shot). I have 10-fight streak. And last 11 months, I’m training so hard. Like next week, I’m ready for fight, like, next pay-per-view show. But I want to fight in Abu Dhabi because I have (many friends) who stay outside because they cannot come (to the UFC APEX). I want to fight for the title in Abu Dhabi. All my friends can come and support me inside.”

Makhachev has long called for the title shot but wants to be slated as the certain challenger and not utilized as a backup plan. He’s looking to continue the legacy of his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and reclaim the lightweight throne for Dagestan.

What is your prediction for Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje? How do you think Islam Makhachev would fare against both fighters?

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Islam Makhachev Explains Why Charles Oliveira Would Be An Easy Fight

Islam Makhachev believes his wrestling skills outmatch the lightweight champion’s, which makes it a good, yet easy fight for him. The #4 lightweight contender faces off against Bobby Green in a catchweight bout this Saturday, February 26. Green is Beniel Dariush’s replacement, as Dariush suffered an injury a week before the match. Makhachev and Green…

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Islam Makhachev believes his wrestling skills outmatch the lightweight champion’s, which makes it a good, yet easy fight for him.

The #4 lightweight contender faces off against Bobby Green in a catchweight bout this Saturday, February 26. Green is Beniel Dariush’s replacement, as Dariush suffered an injury a week before the match.

Makhachev and Green head into their battle with back-to-back impressive wins. Fans anticipate what both fighters will bring to the cage at UFC Fight Night 202.

Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green
Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green, Photo Credit: UFC/Twitter

Some tension has built up leading to their match. For instance, Green says he will be the first fighter to give Makhachev a “real” fight. And Makhachev laughed at Bobby Green’s wrestling skills.

But that comes as no surprise. Being the wrestling sensation that Makhachev is, he puts his wrestling skills well above many fighters.

In his last nine straight wins, he racked up four different submissions. Last year alone, he won all of his fights by submission, which includes a kimura to take out Dan Hooker in the first round.

Though Makhachev credits “Do Bronx” for his striking and grappling, his success leads him to believe he can put Charles Oliveira down with ease in an eventual matchup.

“It’s gonna be good fight because we almost have same style,” Makhachev said during a UFC Vegas 49 media scrum. He have good grappling skills, he have good striking, and it’s gonna be good fight. And I don’t think it’s gonna be hard for me. I can take him out, take him down easy because I know he don’t have good wrestling skills. But his grappling skills—high level. And we will see who’s better there,” said Makhachev in a pre-fight interview.

Currently, Oliveira has the most submission wins and finishes in UFC history and has 20 submissions in his entire MMA career. As of now, Makhachev has 10.

By the time these two amazing grapplers reach each other those numbers can certainly change.

Oliveira has an upcoming title defense against Justin Gaethje in May. And before that, Makhachev fights for his chance to increase his win streak to ten straight wins.

Both fights will determine if Makhachev and Oliveira will test their skills against one another in the near future.

How do you think Islam Makhachev matches up against Charles Oliveira?

Continue Reading Islam Makhachev Explains Why Charles Oliveira Would Be An Easy Fight at MMA News.

Michael Chandler On UFC 268 Classic: I Out-Gaethje’d Gaethje

Michael Chandler is taking some time to reflect on his loss at UFC 268. Michael Chandler came to the UFC with the mission to become a champion. After losing to Charles Oliveira in a vacant title fight at UFC 262, he hit a second roadblock in that mission when he lost recently to Justin Gaethje….

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Michael Chandler is taking some time to reflect on his loss at UFC 268.

Michael Chandler came to the UFC with the mission to become a champion. After losing to Charles Oliveira in a vacant title fight at UFC 262, he hit a second roadblock in that mission when he lost recently to Justin Gaethje.

The fight between Chandler and Gaethje at UFC 268 was considered to be a title eliminator match to see who will face champion Charles Oliveira next. Unfortunately for Chandler, he was eliminated from that discussion. Now, he is taking some time to look back at what went right and what went wrong in the cage with Gaethje.

Chandler is a seasoned vet. He knows when he was been in a good fight and when he has been in a bad one. He feels that the fight against Gaethje, although a loss on paper, was a good one for him. However, after Gaethje downplayed the entertainment value of the classic by calling it ‘boring,’ Chandler explained to CBSSports.com why Gaethje might feel that way.

“I think in Justin Gaethje’s mind, I think he was disappointed in his performance and when that comes about, it can play tricks on your mind that it was a boring fight because there are a lot of times when we as fighters get done with our fights and we see the fight differently in our head or we remember how we felt after the fight right away,” Chandler said. “Then you go back and watch it and realize it was a much more exciting fight or a much more dominant fight. Case in point, my fight against Benson Henderson years ago. I lost the fifth round, so I felt like I lost the entire fight. I was just so disappointed by the way the fight came to a close after that fifth-round win. Really, I spent the first four rounds dominating him on a lot of people’s scorecards.

Chandler: I Out-Gaethjed Justin Gaethje

Michael Chandler Justin Gaethje
Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Chandler was happy with the bout, although not the outcome. It was a brutal fight in which both men ended up being sent to the hospital afterward. Chandler has mentioned that he has no desire to fight in that manner again in his career again, but he still believes the quality of his performance and the fight can’t be denied.

“So I think what happened there was, I think Justin Gaethje was a little bit disappointed in his performance,” Chandler said. “Not to mention the fact that he did drop me and wasn’t able to finish me. Not to mention the fact that I think I out-Justin Gaethje’d Justin Gaethje in some of those exchanges. I think there is no doubt it was definitely not a boring fight. The Fight of the Year awards on everybody’s cards solidifies that. Maybe we’ll share the Octagon again and we’ll give the fans another treat. We’ll see.”

Chandler is putting the Gaethje fight behind him and is looking ahead to new opportunities. He has a rumored fight in the works against Tony Ferguson. And although the fight is not official yet, a win there could have Chandler right back in the mix. As for Gaethje, he is next for the champ Charles Oliveira later this year.

Where do you rank the fight between Michael Chandler vs. Justin Gaethje all time?

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Conor McGregor’s Manager Says He Could Fight Oliveira/Gaethje Winner

Conor McGregorFormer UFC champion Conor McGregor may get the next title shot upon his return to the octagon later this year, according to his manager Tim Simpson. McGregor has been sidelined since last July following his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. After getting leg surgery directly after the fight, he is anticipating a return […]

Conor McGregor

Former UFC champion Conor McGregor may get the next title shot upon his return to the octagon later this year, according to his manager Tim Simpson.

McGregor has been sidelined since last July following his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. After getting leg surgery directly after the fight, he is anticipating a return to the cage in 2022 against a to-be-determined opponent.

Outside of rematches with Nate Diaz and Poirier, one option that has been spoken about in fierce debate has been a lightweight title shot. UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will face Justin Gaethje in his latest title defense later this year at UFC 274.

But McGregor has had his fair share of back-and-forths with both fighters. His banter with Oliveira has been cordial but focused on a title shot, while Gaethje and he are often hostile to one another on social media.

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Simpson gave his thoughts on why McGregor getting the next title shot may not be far-fetched.

Manager Tim Simpson Thinks Conor McGregor May Get The Next Title Shot

“Let’s see what happens in the title fight… Would you be surprised?” Simpson said. “The thing with Conor is he’s always had options. He’ll have options when he’s ready and regardless of everything else that’s going on in the division, he sells. He can fight anybody, regardless of what could be said is ‘right’ for the division. In the end business rules and he could step into that title fight if he wanted to.” (h/t SportsKeeda)

UFC president Dana White and the rest of the brass haven’t confirmed who they’re looking at booking McGregor against, which could potentially open the door for an unprecedented title shot for the Irish superstar.

Who do you want Conor McGregor to fight next?

Poirier: Oliveira Has More Ways To Win Than Gaethje

Former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has given his thoughts on the upcoming title fight between reigning 155-pound king Charles Oliveira and challenger Justin Gaethje. In a year full of memorable crownings, including Glover Teixeira at light heavyweight and Brandon Moreno at flyweight, it was perhaps the triumph of Oliveira that represented the greatest…

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Former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has given his thoughts on the upcoming title fight between reigning 155-pound king Charles Oliveira and challenger Justin Gaethje.

In a year full of memorable crownings, including Glover Teixeira at light heavyweight and Brandon Moreno at flyweight, it was perhaps the triumph of Oliveira that represented the greatest resurgence. From 10-8-1 in his first 19 Octagon outings, “Do Bronx” has built a 10-fight win streak, culminating in championship glory and a successful defense.

Despite coming back from extreme adversity against Michael Chandler at UFC 262 to secure his place on the throne, Oliveira was still doubted by many, with his toughness coming into question.

He proved his naysayers wrong at the final pay-per-view of 2021 by retaining the gold with a third-round submission victory over Poirier, who was coming off consecutive wins against former two-division champ Conor McGregor.

Having further legitimized his reign, Oliveira’s first test of 2022 will come against a contender who’s previously been vocal about the Brazilian’s apparent “quit.”

At UFC 274, Gaethje, who previously failed to reach the undisputed mountaintop against Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019, will have his second chance to mount the throne. “The Highlight” secured the shot with victory in a FOTY-worthy clash against Chandler last November.

Poirier: “It’s An Interesting Fight”

Having defeated Gaethje in 2018 and gone 11 minutes with Oliveira just two months ago, Poirier is in a unique position to analyze and predict this year’s first lightweight title clash.

During an interview with Robby Clark for InsideFighting, “The Diamond” discussed the may pay-per-view showdown. He suggested that while Gaethje has the power and striking prowess to finish anyone, that will be his sole way to leave the Octagon with the belt on May 7.

In comparison, Poirier believes Oliveira has multiple ways to emerge victorious and defend his title for a second time.

“You know, Charles has more ways to wins. Justin has to knock him out. I think Charles can knock Justin out, Charles can submit him, Charles can win a decision; he has more ways to win,” said Poirier. That’s not saying that Gaethje won’t knock him out.

“Charles is a guy who gets hit a lot. In his last two fights, he’s touched the canvas in both fights,” added Poirier. “And Gaethje’s a guy that if he gets you hurt, he usually puts you away, and he has big power. So, if you’re able to get touched, you might not recover. It’s an interesting fight. But Charles has more ways to win.”

In his last two outings, Oliveira has recovered from knockdowns to find a finish. Whether or not he can do that against an instinctive killer like “The Highlight” remains to be seen.

While Oliveira will hope to prove he can withstand his opponent’s power later this year, Gaethje will be looking to prove his theory on the Brazilian champion’s grit to be true.

Who do you think will leave UFC 274 with the lightweight title, Charles Oliveira or Justin Gaethje?

Continue Reading Poirier: Oliveira Has More Ways To Win Than Gaethje at MMA News.