UFC 274 Preview

Welcome ladies and gentleman, we are in for another epic night of fights on Saturday, May 7. UFC 274 will be taking place in Phoenix, Arizona at the Footprint Center. The main card features two title fights as Charles "Do Bronx" Oliveira (32-8) defends his Lightweight Championship against former Interim Champion Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje (23-3) and "Thug" Rose Namajunas (12-4) defends her Strawweight Championship in a rematch against former Strawweight Champion Carla "Cookie Monster" Esparza, followed by the return of "El Cucuy" Tony Ferguson (26-6) against elite Lightweight contender Michael "Iron" Chandler(22-7), in what is sure to be a barn burner of a contest. Before we witness this iconic card of fights on May 7, I wanted to share my thoughts and predictions on each of these fights.

Charles Oliveira vs Justin Gaethje

Charles Oliveira vs Justin Gaethje is going to be an epic war for as long as it last. Yes, I said it "for as long as the fight lasts". There's no way I think this fight is making it to a decision. Charles "Do Bronx" has looked unstoppable as of late and is looking to further cement his legacy by defending his Lightweight Championship for the second time, while Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje is looking for a chance at redemption after coming up short in his first chance at the title a couple of years ago against Khabib Nurmagamedov. Both fighters possess the necessary skills to put each other away at any moment of the fight. Charles Oliveira has the most submission victories in UFC history and his striking has became elite as of late. Look at what he did against Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier his last couple of fights, he knocked out Michael Chandler and stood toe-to-toe with Dustin Poirier before choking him out. Make no mistake about it, the Charles Oliveira of old, who used to quit in fights and get finished, is no longer here. He is elite in every facet of MMA and deserves all of his flowers. Not only has his physical abilities as a fighter changed, but most importantly his mental ability has changed. "Du Bronx" knows how great he is, and the world is finally catching on. On the other hand, Justin Gaethje is coming in to knock Charle's head off of his shoulders Saturday night. Gaethje isn't called "The Highlight" for no reason, 19 of his 23 wins have all come by knockout. He possesses some of the best striking in the UFC and some of the most viscous leg kicks you'll ever see. Gaethje will definitely be feeling the pressure in the fight, as he will be fighting in his hometown, but I think he will be ready. In life, it's not often a person gets a second chance at redemption, but Justin Gaethje has been granted that opportunity. Gaethje has repeatedly gone on record, stating how Charles Oliveira has a history of quitting and how he's going to break him, but I feel that he shouldn't have that mentality about Oliveira. Will Oliveira be able to get through the early onslaught by Justin Gaethje en route to victory? Will Gaethje be able to keep Oliveira off of his back and implement his gameplan to knock Oliveira out? We shall find out Saturday night. We are in for an epic main event!

Prediction: Charles Oliveira 3rd-Round Submission

Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza

Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza has the potential to either be an epic fight or a boring one. Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza first fought eight years ago for the Inaugural Strawweight Championship, which saw Esparza finish Rose by Rear-Naked Choke to become the first ever Strawweight Champion in UFC history. Now, the roles are reversed. Eight years later, Rose Namajunas is now the 2-time Strawweight Champion and Esparza finds herself as the challenger. Rose is as elite of a fighter there is in the world, she has high level striking, jiu-jitsu, IQ, and everything else needed to be proclaimed "the best". Esparza on the other hand, isn't a great striker, but she arguably has the best wrestling in the division, which as we all know gave Rose a handful of problems in their first fight. Rose has cemented herself as the best 115-pounder on the planet and she will be looking to further cement her legacy with a win over a woman who beat her in decisive fashion years ago. Esparza should have all the confidence in the world going into Saturday night, knowing that she already owns a former win over the champion. This fight is a classic striker vs grappler matchup and the winner will be decided on which fighter is able to implement their gameplan. Rose has all of the momentum on her side, she was the female fighter of the year last year and she is fighting under the "best" coach in Trevor Whittman, but this is the fight game and anything can happen. Will Rose be able to stay on the outside and use her elite footwork to pick apart Esparza? Will Esparza be able to take Rose down and grind her out en route to victory? Our questions shall be answered Saturday night! Prediction: Rose Namajunas 4th-Round Knockout

Michael Chandler vs Tony Ferguson

Listen guys, I know I know Tony Ferguson has looked very washed as of late and this fight could see him start to loom retirement, but I am an "El Cucuy" fan all the way and I am hoping he gets this victory. Now that's out the way, let's break down this fight. Michael Chandler is elite, he was the King of Bellator before arriving in the UFC and has been in some of the most entertaining fights in UFC history. He has quick hands with explosive power and could always rely on his good wrestling background, if need be. He will be coming in that cage to knockout Tony Ferguson on Saturday night, make no mistake about it. He is a top 5 Lightweight and is looking for a chance to get back in the title picture after coming up short against Charles Oliveira at UFC 262, a win over Tony Ferguson will put him right back where he needs to be. Tony Ferguson on the other hand, needs a victory Saturday night. The Tony Ferguson of old, that garnered a 12-fight win streak, seems to be here no longer, according to a large portion of the MMA Community. A vast majority of media and fans are giving Tony no chance to win this fight, but again, this is MMA and anything can happen. Tony still possesses an immense amount of heart and determination, and if he reaches his potential he can beat anyone on any given night. Tony is his best when he is pressing the action with unorthodox abilities and pressure, he must keep Chandler on his backfoot. The problem is that Michael Chandler will be looking to do the same thing to Tony Ferguson. Will Michael Chandler be able to pressure Tony against the cage and knock him out? Will Tony be able to press Michael Chandler against the cage and break his will? I'm excited to find out! Let's go!

Prediction: Michael Chandler by Decision