UFC 274 is around the corner, with a stacked fight card this Saturday, May 7th, with 2 undisputed belts on the line and 3 banger match up to finish the card.
The main event gets an exciting clash in the lightweight division when the champion, Charles Oliveira defends the belt for the second time against Justin Gaethje.
The co-main event is a title fight match-up as we get the rematch between the champion, Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza for the undisputed Female Straw-weight belt.
Before they get to the cage, the lightweight division gets what could be a title eliminator match, as Michael Chandler faces Tony Ferguson.
The light heavyweight division gets some love with Ovice St. Preux and Mauricio Rua facing off, along with a welterweight showdown between Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon.
You can check all the UFC/MMA bets, the analysis of each fighter, and the final bet you can make in this fight.
UFC Fight Night – Oliveira vs. Gaethje – Betting Odds and Free Picks – Info
When: Saturday, April 9th, at 6:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Charles Oliveira -170 / Justin Gaethje +140
Rose Namajunas -215 / Carla Esparza +175
Michael Chandler -370 / Tony Ferguson +295
Ovice St. Preux -245 / Mauricio Rua +205
Donald Cerrone -140 / Joe Lauzon +150
Draw Offs: –
Where Can I Watch? ESPN +
Where Can I Stream? ESPN Go
UFC 274: Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje
Why Bet on Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira is on a 10 fight winning streak dating back to 2018. He won the Lightweight title belt in the summer of 2021 and retained it against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269.
Oliveira is constantly in firefights, both of his title bouts haven’t gone past 3 rounds, finishing both Chandler R2 and Poirier in the early third.
Why Bet on Justin Gaethje
Gaethje’s win equity is built into an early finish. Given the fact that Chandler nearly knocked out ‘do Bronx’ in R1 of their title bout, there’s reason for optimism that the Arizona native can find a finish there.
Final Betting Analysis: Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje
Oliveira can remain standing and outlast the early Gaethje finish. So, this fight will likely play out similarly to the Poirier victory.
Oliveira was knocked down early, and the two had a close strike output, but rallied to finish the fight by submission.
As the two exchange and tire out, there will be more openings for the champ, who will finish this fight.
UFC 274: Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza
Why Bet on Rose Namajunas
UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas is almost certainly the premier kickboxer at 115lbs right now, as she holds wins over Jessica Andrade, Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Namajunas has always possessed a very dangerous submission game, particularly off her back.
Why Bet on Carla Esparza
Carla Esparza, is a pressure-based wrestler with excellent takedowns, solid top control, dangerous ground-and-pound and lethal submissions.
Esparza’s boxing has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, to the point where she largely outstruck Claudia Gadelha when they fought in 2018.
Final Betting Analysis: Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza
Either Esparza will be able to take Namajunas down, avoid her submissions, and keep her grounded en route to a submission or decision win, or she won’t be able to take ‘Thug Rose’ down and will probably come out second-best in a striking battle.
Overall, Esparza can probably win this fight, but against a champion with as much confidence as Namajunas has at the minute, it doesn’t seem likely.
UFC 274: Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson
Why Bet on Michael Chandler
Whether ‘Iron Mike’ can show the same kind of patience that Gaethje did in his clash with Ferguson is a fair question to ask, particularly as he doesn’t have Gaethje’s chin – and Ferguson did hurt ‘The Highlight’ badly at one point.
Chandler, stylistically at least, is similar to Gaethje, having a strong wrestling background and a high pressure game that can put Ferguson right into trouble.
Why Bet on Tony Ferguson
The big question is exactly how much Ferguson has left to offer.
At one point, ‘El Cucuy’ was riding a 12-fight winning streak and looked like the most dangerous 155lber on the roster. However, his run came to a violent end at the hands of Justin Gaethje in the spring of 2020.
Since then, Ferguson has lost two straight bouts. While those losses came against great fighters in Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush, ‘El Cucuy’ didn’t look like the same fighter at all.
Final Betting Analysis: Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson
If both fighters can produce – and that is a question mark of sorts – then the likelihood of this one winning a $50k bonus seems high.
Given Ferguson’s age, downturn and the amount of damage he’s taken over the years, it’s hard to pick him against any other top-level lightweight right now in good faith.
UFC 274: Ovice St. Preux vs. Mauricio Rua
Why Bet on Ovice St. Preux
Saint Preux has been more active, but he’s lost three of his last four and has been looking rather flat.
He’s got some excellent weapons — his power left kicks, intercepting counters and brutal submissions — but he doesn’t always put that together into a compete MMA game.
Why Bet on Mauricio Rua
Shogun is at 2-1-1 in his last four, though it’s been a couple years since his last walk to the Octagon.
As he’s aged, Rua has become less of a kicker — with occasional throwback performances — but he’s retained the huge amounts of knockout power in his hands.
Final Betting Analysis: Ovice St. Preux vs. Mauricio Rua
Back when “OSP” knocked out Rua in 2014, it was likely the biggest win of his career and seen as a considerable upset.
Typically, when an up-and-comer knocks out a veteran, there’s no need for a rematch.
However, eight years later, Rua has actually fared better recently.
For “OSP”, a third-consecutive loss could send the 39-year-old veteran to a different promotion.
It’s important to note that most of his recent losses were at Heavyweight, so this is a chance to really reestablish himself.
He needs to keep Shogun from mixing his kicks into his stand up in order to score an easy win against a grizzled veteran.
UFC 274: Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon
Why Bet on Donald Cerrone
Cerrone has seen his fortunes plummet during this stretch, getting battered and showing little signs of life.
Granted, those came against the likes of Tony Ferguson, Conor McGregor, and Justin Gaethje, but he’s accumulated so much damage so quickly that it’s a small miracle he’s allowed to compete. Because ‘Cowboy’ gives his all each time out, he’s reliable entertainment and a hard out regardless of the outcome.
Why Bet on Joe Lauzon
Lauzon has been quiet for the last three years, but he’s being pulled back into the octagon to complete the pair of nostalgia matches on the main card.
Many thought Lauzon had retired after knocking out Jonathan Pearce in October 2019, but the lure of a payday and a spot on a big card might have been too hard to resist.
Final Betting Analysis: Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon
Cerrone and Lauzon have been consistently entertaining, but with both in the twilight of their careers, this bout comes at a critical time for both men. It is an odd choice that the UFC decided to put a fight between one fighter who is winless in his last six attempts, against a fighter that has been inactive for three years on a pay-per-view card.
Cerrone is the better striker with the size advantage, but Lauzon can be an absolute terror in the clinch or on the ground.
If this is a way for the UFC to get Cerrone a win before he retires, then this is as good of a chance as he’ll have. But that being said, Lauzon might be the fresher fighter of the two despite the layoff.
This fight comes down to who has more left in the tank, and we believe the Cowboy will take the win.
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