UFC 274: Oliveira vs Gaethje Picks, Predictions, Odds

• Two title fights headline UFC 274 this Saturday
• Lightweights Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson do battle
• Fan favorite Donald Cerrone returns to action

UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje

The odds for this match are provided by the DraftKings Sportsbook. Click on the odds below to head to DraftKings and place a bet.

UFC 274: Oliveira vs Gaethje Picks & Predictions

(C) Charles Oliveira vs Justin Gaethje – Lightweight Championship

Charles Oliveira (-165)

(C) Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza – Women’s Strawweight Championship

Carla Esparza (+165)

Michael Chandler vs Tony Ferguson – Lightweight Division

Michael Chandler (-410)

Mauricio Rua vs Ovince St. Preux – Light Heavyweight Division

Mauricio Rua (+200)

Donald Cerrone vs Joe Lauzon – Lightweight Division

Donald Cerrone (-165)

Former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje gets his second chance at undisputed gold this Saturday when he takes on champion Charles Oliveira – who is making his second title defense since winning the vacated championship.

Gaethje receives this title shot, surprisingly, coming off of only one win – a unanimous decision over Michael Chandler that took place last November at UFC 268.

The champion is riding a ten-fight winning streak that most recently saw him defend his title against number-one contender Dustin Poirier – whom Oliveira defeated via third-round submission.

Oliveira has a third-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and holds the record for most submission wins (15) in UFC history.

Gaethje will stand one inch taller but the champion will have a significant four-inch reach advantage over his opponent.

To find out how to place your bets for this UFC 274 main event, check out our ultimate UFC betting guide to get started.

(C) Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza – Women’s Strawweight Championship

These two women last fought each other in the TUF Finale in 2014 to crown the first-ever women’s strawweight championship, with Carla Esparza taking the win via third-round submission.

Heading into the title rematch, both women are riding winning streaks. The champ Rose Namajunas has won her last three in a row – most recently defeating Zhang Weili via split-decision last November.

Esparza most recently defeated Yan Xiaonan via second-round TKO. The win marked her fifth in a row.

The champion will have a four-inch advantage in height, a two-inch advantage in reach, and is listed as the -195 favorite.

Michael Chandler vs Tony Ferguson – Lightweight Division

Since joining the UFC, Michael Chandler has gone just 1-2 but that stretch includes two post-fight bonuses and a shot at the vacant lightweight title.

His last fight came against Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 – an instant classic that was deemed fight of the night. Unfortunately, Chandler lost the decision.

Tony Ferguson, a former interim champion, had won 12-fights in a row before suffering a TKO loss to Justin Gaethje in 2020. He has now dropped three straight fights – most recently losing a decision to Beneil Dariush last May.

Ferguson stands four-inches taller than Chandler and will have a 5.5-inch reach advantage. However, Chandler will enter the octagon Saturday at -410; the largest betting favorite on the main card.

Mauricio Rua vs Ovince St. Preux – Light Heavyweight Division

Two UFC veterans do battle for the first time in their careers, with both fighters needing a win.

Former champion Mauricio Rua is coming off of a second-round TKO loss to Paul Craig that took place in November 2020. He is 2-2-1 in his last five fights.

Ovince St. Preux is 2-5 over his last seven fights, which included two heavyweight bouts. His most recent fight took place in the heavyweight division against Tanner Boser last June. St. Preux lost the fight via second-round TKO.

St. Preux is the longer and taller man and is, somewhat surprisingly, the -250 favorite to win.

Donald Cerrone vs Joe Lauzon – Lightweight Division

Two legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts kick off the main card in a fight that could see the loser call it quits.

The elder Donald Cerrone has lost his last five fights in a row (with one no-contest thrown in) – most recently losing via first-round TKO to Alex Morono last May.

Joe Lauzon has not competed in MMA since 2019. His last fight was a first-round TKO win over Jonathan Pearce but he had lost three straight prior to that.

Cerrone has the edge in height and reach and, despite the losses, has stayed more active in the sport. Likely due to these facts, plus his edge when it comes to kickboxing, he is listed as the -165 favorite.

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