Justin Gaethje will get a second chance to become a champion later this year, facing UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira at the promotion’s May 7th event. News of the title fight was first reported by Brett Okamoto of ESPN.
The fight is set to be part of the pay-per-view event, UFC 274. The card was first targeted to take place in Brazil, although reports say the card has now been shifted to the U.S.
Gaethje is getting the title fight after defeating Michael Chandler in November. The victory was considered by many as a “Fight of the Year” contender for 2021 and was one that sprung him back into the title picture.
The fight in the Fall was Gaethje’s first appearance in a year. His prior bout was a title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020, where he was submitted in the second round.
Oliveira will be fighting to defend his UFC Lightweight Championship for the second time. His first fight as champ came in late 2021, as he made a comeback against Dustin Poirier for a third-round rear naked choke submission.
Oliveira had first earned the belt earlier in the year, stopping Chandler to take the vacant title.
A win in May would move Oliveira’s winning streak to 11 consecutive.
It was previously reported that UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Glover Teixeira will meet rising contender Jiri Prochazka on the card. Here is how the lineup looks now:
Bout 3: Charles Oliveira (32-8) vs. Justin Gaethje (23-3) (UFC Lightweight Championship)
Bout 2: Glover Teixeira (33-7) vs. Jiri Prochazka (28-3-1) (UFC Light Heavyweight Championship)
Bout 1: Macy Chiasson (7-2) vs. Norma Dumont (7-1) (Featherweight)
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