The UFC returns to our screens for a highly stacked pay-per-view event from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will collide with Justin Gaethje in the main event of the evening.
Read on for our complete betting guide taking a first look at Oliveira and Gaethje, including updated UFC odds and our free expert UFC picks, predictions, and analysis.
Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje
UFC 274 Lightweight Main Event Championship Bout
Saturday, April 30, 2022 – 10:00 PM EDT at Footprint Center
Charles Oliveira (32-8-0)
Thirty-two professional mixed martial arts victories under his belt, the UFC lightweight championship, and more stoppage victories in UFC history than any other competitor – Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira has reached the pinnacle moment of his career.
The 32-year-old Brazilian native has the opportunity to replicate and potentially create a legacy that could surpass the legendary compatriots before him, like Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva.
Not to say that Oliveira hasn’t already etched his name into the MMA history books. 20 of his 31 professional MMA successes have been achieved through submission stoppages, and he owns more finishes (18) than any other fighter in UFC history.
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Born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, his nation’s most prominent martial art, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, was Oliveira’s initial love and discipline. Since the tender age of 9-years-old, his willingness to evolve earnt him his black belt under Ericson Cardoso and Jorge Patino.
Oliveira is often underrated and overlooked during a period of the company’s history where the said-lightweight division is one of the toughest on the planet. Aside from his aristocratic jiu-jitsu offense, Oliveira has gained a vicious striking output during his UFC tenure, which in turn, is another asset of “Do Bronx” that is often disrespected.
Charles Oliveira MMA Accomplishments
- UFC Lightweight Championship (One time, current, one defense)
- UFC Fight of the Night (Three times)
- UFC Performance of the Night (Twelve times)
- UFC Submission of the Night (Three times)
- Most finishes in UFC history (18)
- Most submission wins in UFC history (15)
- Most Post Fight Bonuses in UFC history (18)
Charles Oliveira Best Available Odds: -160 at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Justin Gaethje (23-3-0)
Riding a four-fight win streak with four consecutive knockout stoppages, Justin Gaethje earned his first title shot against the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254.
Some fighters are tactical, others are reckless, but Justin Gaethje is pure entertainment every time he steps into the octagon. Despite losing to Khabib in the second round, the heavy-hitting Gaethje returned with an amazing win over Michael Chandler to position himself right back into the title picture.
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The NCAA Div I All-American has often neglected his offensive wrestling due to a pro MMA career built around his knockout power and technical striking offense. An incredible 19 of Gaethje’s 26 professional fights have ended by knockout or technical stoppage, 9 of which ended inside the first round.
Justin Gaethje MMA Accomplishments
- UFC Interim Lightweight Championship (One time)
- UFC Fight of the Night (Six times)
- UFC Performance of the Night (Four times)
- The first fighter to earn a bonus in their first seven UFC bouts
- WSOF Lightweight Championship (One time, five defenses)
- NCAA Division I All-American
Justin Gaethje Best Available Odds: +140 at BetOnline
Oliveira Fight Style and How Can He Defeat the Gaethje?
With the most submission finishes in UFC history, you’d be led to believe that Oliveira’s most straightforward path to victory is by utilizing his BJJ skill-set. However, the grappling defense of Gaethje will play a huge factor in the champion taking this fight to the ground.
Oliveira has proven his striking offense shouldn’t be underrated, but it wouldn’t be favorable to stand and exchange strikes with one of the division’s heaviest hitters.
With that said, the blueprint for Oliveira is to finish this fight the way he knows best and do it early. We’ve often seen his submission finishing rate decline once fights surpass the 3rd round; going into deep waters with Gaethje won’t look pretty for the Brazilian.
Gaethje’s Fight Style and How Can He Defeat Oliveira?
Khabib handed Gaethje the first and only submission loss of his professional career. Still, the elite sambo wrestling style allowed the legend to dominate and maintain positions we’ve never before seen Gaethje become compromised by.
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I don’t believe Oliveira can overpower Gaethje into these venerable grappling positions, and I expect we’ll witness a striking battle between the two. On paper, the accumulative damage Oliveira will take from Gaethje’s strikes give the challenger a great chance of success.
Oliveira vs. Gaethje Prediction and UFC 274 Odds
The available odds at the best sportsbooks favor the defending champion, and I’m not surprised with an 11-fight win streak dating back to 2018 that also includes 9 stoppages inside the distance.
Oliveira has proved me wrong on countless occasions, but I’m struggling to envision his path to victory when faced with the durability and striking prowess of Justin Gaethje.
UFC Pick: Gaethje to Win (+140) [1u returns 1.40u profit] at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
