Sports

Championship Doubleheader Headlines UFC 274 This May

Two titles will be on the line this May at UFC 274.

Set from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Charles Oliveira puts his lightweight title on the line vs. Justin Gaethje. 

All the action is set for May 7 with fights airing on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN+ pay-per-view. 

Along with Gaethje vs. Oliveira, Rose Namajunas defends her belt against Carla Esparza and Michael Chandler meets Tony Ferguson.

Reigning UFC lightweight king Oliveira (32-8, 1 NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil) intends to further his legacy as champion by taking out one of his toughest opponents to date. The record holder for most UFC finishes, submissions and post-fight bonuses, Oliveira has established himself as one of the most exciting athletes on the entire roster. 

Former interim champion Gaethje (24-3, originally from Safford, Ariz., and fighting out of Arvada, Colo.) is one of the only lightweights that can match Oliveira’s impressive finishing ability. 

UFC strawweight titleholder Namajunas (12-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) returns to action seeking to successfully defend her belt for the second time by avenging her 2014 loss against Esparza. Among the most popular athletes on the UFC roster, she holds the record for most stoppage wins in strawweight history, including victories over former champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili. 

Esparza (19-6, fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) has her sights set on regaining her strawweight championship by replicating her submission victory over Namajunas. Currently on the longest win streak of her UFC career, she secured her shot at the crown with memorable performances over Yan Xiaonan, Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson. 

Chandler (22-7, fighting out of Nashville, Tenn.) has wasted little time in cementing himself as a must-see fighter since joining the UFC roster. Fan favorite Ferguson (26-7, fighting out of Orange County, Calif.) has been entertaining audiences with his unique fighting style since winning season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2010. 

Additional bouts on the card include

  • Flyweight action sees Tracy Cortez (9-1, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz.) face off with Melissa Gatto (8-0-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
  • The legendary Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (27-12-1, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) rematches with Ovince Saint Preux (25-16, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) at light heavyweight
  • Lightweight veterans finally battle when Donald Cerrone (36-16, 2 NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) meets Joe Lauzon (28-16, fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass.)
  • No. 4 ranked flyweight contender Brandon Royval (13-6, fighting out of Lakewood, Colo.) and No. 9 ranked Matt Schnell (15-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) match up in an early Fight of the Night contender
  • No. 14 ranked heavyweight contender Blagoy Ivanov (18-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Sofia, Bulgaria) seeks to defend his spot in the Top 15 against Marcos Rogerio De Lima (19-8-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
  • Macy Chiasson (8-2, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) returns to action against Norma Dumont (7-1, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil) in a featherweight bout
  • An exciting welterweight matchup sees Randy Brown (14-4, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) lock horns with Khaos Williams (13-2, fighting out of Jackson, Mich.)
  • Welterweights Francisco Trinaldo (27-8, fighting out of Federal District, Brazil) and Danny Roberts (18-5, fighting out of Liverpool, England) aim to steal the show
  • Dana White’s Contender Series signees collide as Kleydson Rodrigues (7-1, fighting out of Laranjal do Jari, Amapa, Brazil) and CJ Vergara (9-3-1, fighting out of San Antonio, Texas) compete at flyweight
  • Ariane Carnelossi (14-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) looks to extend her win streak against Loopy Godinez (7-2, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico) at strawweight
  • Journey Newson (9-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Portland, Ore.) has his sights set on spoiling the UFC debut of Dana White’s Contender Series alum Fernie Garcia (10-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas)

 

Dana Becker

The world of MMA is one of the few sports that brings together people from all walks of life. I try my best to tell those stories and also present breaking news to the masses.

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