Three reasons why Charles Oliveira will defeat Justin Gaethje and two reasons why he won't
Charles Oliveira will square off against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 for the second title defense of his career. The Brazilian mixed martial artist will go into the fight on the back of a stunning win against Dustin Poirier last year.
Gaethje, too, has had a good run in the promotion of late. With just one loss in nearly four years, 'The Highlight' has been at the top of his game in recent times.
Having run through the likes of Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler, the American looks all set for another crack at UFC gold. Despite all the firepower that the former interim UFC champion possesses, 'Do Bronx' is by no means going to be an easy target for him.
Here are three reasons why Charles Oliveira will defeat Justin Gaethje and two reasons why he won't.
#5. Charles Oliveira's high endurance
Charles Oliveira has been around in the UFC for a long time. It took him 28 fights to get his hands on the first UFC title of his career, which says a lot about the Brazilian's determination.
Surprisingly, however, the same couldn't be said about the 32-year-old's endurance a few years ago. For the longest time, 'Do Bronx' was criticized by fans for his lack of durability. But since his loss to Paul Felder in 2017, the Brazilian has improved significantly in terms of his ability to withstand punishment in the octagon.
With a 10-fight winning streak in the promotion, 'Do Bronx' has shown why he is deservingly the lightweight champion. His last two fights against Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier are testimony to his improved durability.
At UFC 262, Charles Oliveira overcame a great deal of punishment in the first round, including a submission attempt to come back and knock Chandler out in the next round.
At UFC 269, once again, he had a tough time containing Poirier in the first round. 'The Diamond' landed more significant strikes on target (54-48) on 'Do Bronx', including a knockdown.
Oliveira, however, displayed tremendous determination as he outstruck Poirier in the second round before submitting him in the third.