Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje will finally collide at this weekend’s UFC 274 event in Phoenix, Arizona, and the UFC Lightweight Championship will be on the line. The event is exclusive to ESPN+ PPV in the United States.
The fight represents Gaethje’s second chance at winning the lightweight title after he was defeated by former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020. Gaethje started strong that night but was eventually submitted with relative ease in the second round. Gaethje returned to form with a unanimous decision victory against Michael Chandler in November last year and that win was enough to grant him a shot at Oliveira.
Oliveira’s long journey to the top of the lightweight division recognizably began in 2018 when he scored the first of his now ten consecutive wins in the UFC. From 2015 to 2018, Oliveira experienced a 2-4 record in the promotion but ultimately turned things around and has never looked back. His outstanding run of form includes recent victories against Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, and Kevin Lee. The win against Chandler in May 2021 resulted in him walking away with the vacant lightweight title and he successfully defended against Poirier later in December.
Oliveira vs. Gaethje odds
Justin Gaethje is now a +140 betting underdog against Charles Oliveira before UFC 274 this weekend after opening as a +130 underdog earlier this year.
Money seems to be supporting Oliveira as his odds have moved to -170 after he could originally be found at odds of -155.
- Oliveira: -170
- Gaethje: +140
The current Oliveira vs Gaethje odds listed above suggests that a successful $100 bet on Gaethje to win would return a total of $240. Likewise, a bet of $100 on Oliveira would return $158.
Oliveira vs. Gaethje Predictions
Oliveira vs. Gaethje is a fascinating clash of styles and our team of expert analysts has studied what we should expect at UFC 274 this weekend.
Braeden Arbour expects Charles Oliveira to win by submission. He notes that while Geathje has fantastic wrestling ability, his jiu-jitsu is somewhat neglected. This may create opportunities for the ever-dangerous submission artist in Charles Oliveira.
Michael Pounders is picking Justin Gaethje to win this weekend. He believes that the fight is “unlikely to see the judges” and that although he recognizes Oliveira as an obviously dangerous opponent, Gaethje may be the “first fighter since 2017 to crack the code and the chin of Oliveira.”
Joe Pounders is also picking Justin Gaethje to win at UFC 274. He writes that “if the fight stays on the feet, Gaethje will win quite comfortably.” Pounders expects a tough, competitive fight but is ultimately taking the underdog in what should be a close contest.