5 most explosive moments from UFC 274: Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje
UFC 274 was always going to be a major event. With a strong card on paper, the fights themselves didn’t fail to deliver with some excellent action.
UFC 274’s co-headline bout was completely lacking in any explosive moments. Thankfully, there were plenty of memorable finishes and near-finishes up and down the card to make up for it.
With a number of fighters advancing their cause last night, this event will be one that is likely to be remembered for some time.
Here are the five most explosive moments from UFC 274: Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje.
#5. Francisco Trinaldo’s explosive second round nets him his second win as a UFC welterweight
The welterweight bout between veterans Francisco Trinaldo and Danny Roberts was one of the fights largely flying under the radar at UFC 274. In the end, they produced one of the night’s better duels.
The clash went the distance, but it certainly didn’t lack in explosive moments. Most notable was a pivotal second round for Trinaldo that probably won the Brazilian the nod from the judges. How he didn’t finish ‘Hot Chocolate’ is a mystery.
The stanza began with the two welterweights trading punches. After a clean right landed for ‘Massaranduba’, Roberts’ equilibrium appeared to be completely destroyed. He stumbled around like a drunk being electrocuted. It was only Trinaldo’s insistence on attempting to follow with a takedown that saved him.
However, moments later, Trinaldo continued his onslaught, hitting Roberts with a hard left hand before dropping him with a brutal shot to the body. From there, after failing on a guillotine, he punished the Brit with some savage ground-and-pound, but still couldn’t quite finish the bout. Incredibly, Roberts actually came back towards the end of the round.
Overall, it was always going to take something special from ‘Hot Chocolate’ to claim the win in the third round. Unsurprisingly, he couldn’t do it – giving Trinaldo his second octagon win as a welterweight.
While he couldn’t finish his opponent, this was an excellent showing from him. He once again proved that he’s an explosive fighter despite being on the wrong side of 40.