Justin Gaethje is undoubtedly one of the best lightweight fighters in the current era of UFC. Moreover, The Highlight has a brilliant record of 22-3 in which he has defeated top fighters like Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, Donald Cerrone and many more.
It is safe to say that he is a fan favourite in the UFC as he never fails to amaze the crowd with his swashbuckling and aggressive striking. Moreover, Justin’s grit and ability to absorb big strikes throughout the bout makes him a special fighter.
However, he has faced some downfalls along the process in his illustrious career as the likes of Dustin Poirier, Eddie Alvarez and Khabib Nurmagomedov have outclassed him. But Gaethje delivers every time he steps inside the octagon and his recent fight against Michael Chandler is a great example of where he promised violence and delivered it in stunning fashion.
Consequently, The Highlight has earned a second shot at the lightweight gold as he takes on Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 274 on May 7th at the Footprint Center in Phoenix Arizona.
However, Gaethje ended up falling short in this title fight as Oliveira submitted him via rear naked choke in the first round of the bout. But by no means was this fight one sided as Justin Gaethje landed some nasty shots and almost won the undisputed lightweight title.
Justin Gaethje drops Charles Oliveira twice in the first round
As soon as the fight began, Charles Oliveira pushed forward and landed a good left hand to stun Justin Gaethje. Surprisingly, The Highlight recovered quickly from that blow and landed some big strikes of his own. He closed the distance and dropped Do Bronx with a powerful uppercut.
Subsequently, he allowed Oliveira to get up as he didn’t wish to grapple and take any risks on the ground. After few wild exchanges, Gaethje dropped Oliveira with a right hook and hurt him badly. The Brazilian fighter was hurt badly and he suffered a nasty cut on his face. It looked like Justin Gaethje was just moments away from becoming the new UFC lightweight champion.
However, Charles Oliveira showed great heart and responded in stunning fashion in the final minute of the first round. He dropped Gaethje with a strong right hand and took the back of the former interim champion and locked in a rear naked choke. Just moments after Oliveira locked in the submission manoeuvre, Gaethje tapped out.
This is WAR @CharlesDoBronxs the real Champ🔥🔥 Gotta protect ya neck @Justin_Gaethje 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 #UFC274 #UFC pic.twitter.com/RLEwRGTtzk
— kriss (@hi_crisna) May 8, 2022
This was a wild fight from start to finish as both Gaethje and Oliveira had their moments. However, it was Do Bronx who seized the moment to his advantage and extended his winning streak to 11 wins.