Charles Oliveira (Champion) and Justin Gaethje (#1) are two great mixed martial artists. This could be either a very technical clash or a dirty fight, depending on what Gaethje decides to do.
Oliveira’s Strengths
- Good striking
- Good mechanics
- Great grappling
- Solid fundamentals
- Ability to follow through a game-plan
Gaethje’s Strengths
- Power
- Explosive
- Good low kicks
- Good fighting spirit
- Ability to flow on feet (when he decides to)
Gaethje’s Weaknesses
- Too much brawling
What does Oliveira need to do to win?
Charles Oliveira is one of the most fundamentally sound fighters in the lightweight division. Oliveira moves well and does a great job of countering and capitalizing on his opponents’ mistakes. To win against Gaethje requires Oliveira to follow a similar game plan as to when he fought Tony Ferguson; stay relaxed on feet and try to take the fight to the ground as much as possible. This is because both Oliveira and Gaethje are very good strikers and if the fight stays on feet – it will most likely be a 50/50 fight. However, on the ground Oliveira has the clear advantage – Oliveira’s positional awareness, smooth transitions, and submission skills will be a great hurdle for Gaethje to overcome.
What does Gaethje need to do to win?
Justin Gaethje is one of the toughest fighters in the lightweight division. Gaethje does a great job of putting pressure and mixing punches with low kicks. To win against Oliveira requires Gaethje to also fight similar to as when he fought Tony Ferguson, but in reverse order in terms of rounds. Instead of brawling and flowing, Gaethje needs to flow in the first few rounds and brawl in later parts of the fight. This is because Oliveira is very good at countering in the early rounds (while both fighters are fresher), however, there’s a high possibility that Oliveira’s countering won’t be as effective in the later rounds (when both fighters will be more fatigued) and that’s when Gaethje’s chaos will truly shine.
Prediction
As long as the action takes place on feet this is a 50/50 fight and there’s a high possibility of knockout on both sides. However, on the ground Oliveira is more likely to come out on top. There are two ways Olivera can win this fight versus one for Gaethje, therefore, I’m going with Olivera on this one.
Date: Saturday, May 7 // Main Card Start Time: 10 PM EDT // Watch It On: ESPN+
