UFC 274 LIVE: Oliveira vs Gaethje stream, latest updates and how to watch tonight

Charles Oliveira (left) defends the UFC lightweight title against Justin Gaethje

(@ufc via Instagram)

UFC 274 takes place in Phoenix, Arizona this evening, with two title fights topping a card that also features a highly-anticipated clash between fan favourites. However, one of those title fights comes with an unexpected twist.

In the main event, Charles Oliveira was set to defend the lightweight belt against former interim champion Justin Gaethje, but the Brazilian missed weight by half-a-pound on Friday and was stripped of the title. Oliveira is now also ineligible to win back the belt tonight, though Gaethje can still claim the gold. In the co-main event, Rose Namajunas is out for revenge against Carla Esparza. Namajunas is in her second reign as strawweight champion, while Esparza – who submitted her fellow American in their first meeting – was the division’s first ever title holder and is out to emulate Namajunas by winning the belt for a second time.

Those fights follow a match-up that pits Chandler against Tony Ferguson as both lightweights look to get back in the win column. Chandler has lost his last two bouts, while former interim champion Ferguson is on a three-fight losing streak. A win for either American could propel them back into the title picture, however, given each man’s name value.

Follow live updates from the UFC 274 main card and prelims, below.

1651967102UFC 274T-minus 15 minutes until the prelims begin!

Alex Pattle8 May 2022 00:45

1651966502UFC 274The Independent conducted an exclusive interview with Charles Oliveira in April.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Against Dustin [Poirier]… we’re talking about MMA, it’s unpredictable. So, I knew I had to keep an eye on him anyway, but each round I was improving, growing, and he was getting tired. He was looking at the clock the whole time, especially after the middle of the first round. I knew that I surprised him; he was hitting me and I was still moving forward. I knew then that he was in trouble in some way, and that things were looking better on my end than his.”

Full piece here:

Alex Pattle8 May 2022 00:35

1651964702UFC 274The early prelims have already gotten under way, but here’s the card for the rest of the night – all of which we’ll be covering live:

Main card

Charles Oliveira vs Justin Gaethje (lightweight title on line for Gaethje only)

Rose Namajunas (C) vs Carla Esparza 2 (women’s strawweight title)

Michael Chandler vs Tony Ferguson (lightweight)

Mauricio Rua vs Ovince Saint Preux (light heavyweight)

Randy Brown vs Khaos Williams (welterweight)

Prelims

Macy Chiasson vs Norma Dumont (women’s featherweight)

Brandon Royval vs Matt Schnell (flyweight)

Blagoy Ivanov vs Marcos Rogerio de Lima (heavyweight)

Alex Pattle8 May 2022 00:05

1651963500UFC 274McGregor is a former lightweight and featherweight champion in the UFC, while Ferguson previously held the interim title at 155lbs. The pair were previously signed to the same management team but have exchanged heated words on Twitter in recent months, and McGregor has now taken the opportunity to respond to comments that Ferguson made about fighter pay on Wednesday.

“I think we’re underpaid personally,” Ferguson said ahead of his UFC 274 clash with Michael Chandler. “I’m not going to say too much. Dana said something the other day – it’s on my phone, I think MMA Fighting actually reposted it – talking about how boxers are overpaid.

“I asked Dana to box, he said: ‘F*** no.’ I’m like: ‘Why?’ […] I want to go do all these couple things, but then I have this guy right here acting like a f***ing drug dealer, telling me I can’t go do this s***. I want to go make more money for my family.”

Here’s how McGregor reacted on Twitter:

Alex Pattle7 May 2022 23:45

1651962677UFC 274Some news: Donald Cerrone is ill, per UFC commentator Joe Rogan, and his bout with Joe Lauzon has been cancelled.

As a result, this evening’s final prelim fight – Randy Brown vs Khaos Williams – has been moved onto the main card.

That welterweight contest will kick off the main card, in fact.

Alex Pattle7 May 2022 23:31

1651961760UFC 274Here’s the key story around UFC 274, as of Friday night:

Charles Oliveira has been stripped of his lightweight title for missing weight ahead of his main event against Justin Gaethje.

Oliveira came in one pound over the 155lbs limit on his first attempt at Friday’s weigh-in, before trying again while surrounded by a curtain and hitting the scales at 155.5lbs.

The Brazilian was given an extra hour to make weight but again came in at 155.5lbs on his third and final effort.

As a result, the promotion has stripped Oliveira of the belt, which the 32-year-old is also ineligible to win back on Saturday.

Opponent Gaethje, however, can claim the gold in the UFC 274 main event.

More here:

Alex Pattle7 May 2022 23:16

1651960929UFC 274UFC 274 takes place in Phoenix, Arizona this evening, with two title fights topping a card that also features a highly-anticipated clash between fan favourites. However, one of those title fights comes with an unexpected twist.

In the main event, Charles Oliveira was set to defend the lightweight belt against former interim champion Justin Gaethje, but the Brazilian missed weight by half-a-pound on Friday and was stripped of the title. Oliveira is now also ineligible to win back the belt tonight, though Gaethje can still claim the gold. In the co-main event, Rose Namajunas is out for revenge against Carla Esparza. Namajunas is in her second reign as strawweight champion, while Esparza – who submitted her fellow American in their first meeting – was the division’s first ever title holder and is out to emulate Namajunas by winning the belt for a second time.

Those fights follow a match-up that pits Chandler against Tony Ferguson as both lightweights look to get back in the win column. Chandler has lost his last two bouts, while former interim champion Ferguson is on a three-fight losing streak. A win for either American could propel them back into the title picture, however, given each man’s name value.

Alex Pattle7 May 2022 23:02

1651920300UFC 274Here’s our main-event preview (N.B. piece was written prior to Oliveira missing weight):

This week, Joe Lauzon produced perhaps the most succinct and fitting description of fellow UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje that has ever been uttered: “He’s a guy who will light himself on fire just to burn you a little bit.”

Gaethje has been in enough firefights that we must have passed the point of labelling it a tendency, or proclivity; it is a speciality.

Still, it is difficult not to feel as though the fire with which the American is playing this week might just scorch him – potentially for good.

Full piece here:

Alex Pattle7 May 2022 11:45