"He's got Justin Gaethje's respect"- Henry Cejudo touts Charles Oliveira as the favorite against 'The Highlight'
Charles Oliveira, with his win against Dustin Poirier, consolidated his stronghold at the top of the UFC lightweight division. Henry Cejudo echoed the same sentiment as he declared that 'Do Bronx' may go into his next fight against Justin Gaethje as the betting favorite, unlike this time around.
Many fans and pundits perennially slept on Charles Oliveira until he choked Dustin Poirier out. As the reigning champion, the Brazilian walked into the UFC 269 headliner as the underdog.
However, 'The King of Cringe' asserted that his performance must have left an impression in Justin Gaethje's mind. He also commented on the prospects of a potential fight between Oliveira and Gaethje:
"I think everybody counted him out against that fight and I'm going to say it again, I do believe Charles Oliveira is the most technical fighter in the UFC. Like, think about it Schmo, he can submit, he's taken people down, he's a knockout artist. I think he got Justin Gaethje's respect [after UFC 269] and it's going to be a great fight. I think the favorite now, is probably going to be Charles Oliveira," admitted Henry Cejudo.
Catch the entire segment here:
Justin Gaethje looking forward to Charles Oliveira clash
Justin Gaethje, who has previously scorned Charles Oliveira, labeling him as a quitter, couldn't help but be impressed by his performance against Dustin Poirier. Regardless, 'The Highlight' remains confident about his chances against the Brazilian:
“I will give no disrespect to Charles. He is now the undisputed champion, and I cannot wait to fight him. I saw a competitor tonight. I saw a dog, and I can’t wait to break his face. He gets hit a lot, and he better pray and hope for next however many days until our fight that he takes me down and gets his choke. Because if not, we’ll see what happens,” said Justin Gaethje.
As far as early oddsmakers are concerned, Charles Oliveira goes into his fight against Justin Gaethje as the favorite. However, whether he can hold his own against Gaethje's unrelenting pressure remains to be seen.
Here are the opening odds for a potential Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje fight:
Charles Oliveira -205 (20/41)
Justin Gaethje +175 (7/4)
(odds via @betonline_ag) 🏆 https://t.co/L7CxUifUFU