UFC Fight Tonight: May 7, 2022 - Know the main card fighters competing at UFC 274
![UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje poster [Image courtesy: @BestQualityGear via Twitter]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/05/906d8-16517765606630-1920.jpg?w=500)
UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje will take place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, May 7. Stacked with two title fights and a series of exciting matchups, the pay-per-view event will be headlined by a much-anticipated lightweight title clash between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje.
The co-main event will see strawweight champion Rose Namajunas defend her title against former champion and No.2-ranked Carla Esparza in a rematch from December 2014.
Also on the main card, Michael Chandler will take on Tony Ferguson in a matchup that promises to be nothing short of fireworks and violence.
UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje main card fighters
Check out the entire UFC 274 main card, which is scheduled to get underway on May 7 at 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT.
𝐎𝐍𝐄. 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄. 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊! #UFC274 https://t.co/iHuhQCD9jj
Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje
Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza
Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson
Mauricio Rua vs. Ovince Saint Preux
Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon
Watch the UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje fight preview below:
Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira (32-8) captured the vacant 155-pound belt by defeating Michael Chandler via second-round TKO in May 2021. 'Do Bronx' delivered another impressive performance when he submitted Dustin Poirier with a rear-naked choke in December. The Brazilian now looks set to register his third consecutive finish in his second title defense against Justin Gaethje.
Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje (23-3) has a second opportunity to capture the lightweight crown after falling to former 155-pound kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2020. 'The Highlight' earned the title shot when he outpointed Michael Chandler in a thrilling, three-round battle at UFC 268 last November.
Rose Namajunas
Rose Namajunas (11-4) secured a split-decision win over former champion Zhang Weili last November to mark her first title defense since capturing the strawweight title in April 2021. 'Thug' currently holds three consecutive wins in the promotion.
Carla Esparza
Carla Esparza (18-6) will enter her bout against the champion on the back of five consecutive victories, with her most recent win coming over Yan Xiaonan via second-round TKO. 'Cookie Monster' will look to go 2-0 up against Namajunas when the two collide at UFC 274 this Saturday. She holds a win over the current titleholder from December 2014.
Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler (22-7) fell to Justin Gaethje in his most recent UFC outing, suffering his second straight loss in the process. 'Iron' will now look to solidify his spot in the lightweight rankings with a statement-making win over Tony Ferguson on May 7.
Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson (25-6) will be desperately looking to end his three-fight skid when he takes on the former Bellator champion at UFC 274 this Saturday. 'El Cucuy' most recently dropped a unanimous decision to Beneil Dariush in May 2021.
Mauricio Rua
Mauricio Rua (27-12) will be entering the octagon at UFC 274 this weekend after a year-and-a-half away from the sport. The Brazilian last competed at UFC 255 in November 2020 where he suffered a TKO loss to Paul Craig.
Ovince Saint Preux
Ovince Saint Preux (25-16) has struggled for consistency since arriving in the UFC. The 39-year-old has lost both of his last two outings via TKO and five of his last seven.
Donald Cerrone
Donald Cerrone (36-16) has not won in any of his last six outings, which includes a no-contest against Niko Price. His upcoming bout against Joe Lauzon is crucial for his career in the UFC.
Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon (28-15) ended his three-fight losing streak with a first-round TKO of Jonathan Pearce back in October 2019. Prior to that success, 'J-Lau' had alternated wins and losses going all the way back to 2015.
After nearly three years of being away from competition, the 37-year-old will return to action at UFC 274 this Saturday hoping to get back to winning ways.
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