Staredowns! ‘Highlight’ Measures Up Oliveira In Phoenix

All the boxes have been checked off ahead of UFC 274 set to unfold tomorrow evening (Sat., May 7, 2022) live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The early weigh ins have concluded and the final staredowns are officially in the books.

Leading the way for UFC 274 will be a main event clash between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje. Oliveira was expected to defend his UFC lightweight title, but he was stripped of the belt after failing to make weight early Friday. As a result, Gaethje will be the only one eligible to win the title. It’s a sad turn of events, but Oliveira and Gaethje are two of the best finishers in the sport today and should still produce absolute chaos when they meet inside of the Octagon.

Check out their final staredown below:

In addition, Rose Namajunas will defend her UFC women’s strawweight title in a rematch with former champion Carla Esparza. The two met eight years ago at the Ultimate Fighter finale and “Cookie Monster” ended up winning via third-round submission. This time around Namajunas holds the belt and will look to defend it for a second-straight time.

Their official face-off can be seen below:

Also gracing the UFC 274 PPV main card will be a lightweight battle between fan favorites Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson. Both fighters are in desperate need of a win and have all of the ingredients to turn in a Fight of the Year candidate.

Check out the lightweight staredown below:

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 274 fight card on fight night, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

For more news and notes on UFC 274 be sure to visit our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated, revised, and finalized “Oliveira vs. Gaethje” fight card and ESPN+ PPV lineup click here.