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Justin Gaethje could finish Charles Oliveira when the duo collide later this year at UFC 274, according to Javier Mendez.
Both fighters have been circling one another for quite some time now. Following Gaethje's win over Michael Chandler at UFC 268 and Oliveira's successful title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269, this matchup seemed inevitable.
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Mendez, during his interview on The Schmozone podcast, provided his thoughts on how he believes Oliveira vs. Gaethje might go. He said:
“Remember, the last two fights Oliveira had, he got hurt. Chandler hurt him pretty bad in the first round and he came back super strong. Then with Dustin, same thing. He got hurt, not as bad, but he got hurt and he came on pretty strong."
He added:
"Can Justin hurt him like that right away? The only difference I think, in my personal opinion, is that Justin is more of a killer. If he hurts Charles, he just might finish him. We won’t know until the fight happens, but this is what I say - early I give Justin, late I give Oliveira. He’s shown that, he’s shown that he’s resilient and he comes on stronger, he gets better as the rounds go on.”
Watch Javier Mendez's interview on The Schmozone podcast below:
When was Justin Gaethje's last finish in the UFC?
It has been just under two years since Justin Gaethje was last able to score a finish over an opponent. The last time he finished his opponent was in 2020, when he secured a TKO victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 249. Out of his 23 career wins, 19 have come by way of KO/TKO.
In his most recent appearance at UFC 268, Gaethje came away with a unanimous decision victory over Michael Chandler. Prior to that, he was submitted in the second round of his UFC 254 meeting with Khabib Nurmagomedov, which proved to be the final outing for 'The Eagle' in mixed martial arts.
Gaethje will be looking to come away with undisputed lightweight gold when he takes on Charles Oliveira at UFC 274. Both fighters are known for their finishing abilities and fans are undoubtedly in for a barnburner.
