BLOCKBUSTER CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER
HEADLINES UFC 274 AT FOOTPRINT CENTER
UFC 274: OLIVEIRA vs. GAETHJE TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 25
FEATURED BOUTS:
(C) CHARLES OLIVEIRA vs. (#1) JUSTIN GAETHJE (C) ROSE NAMAJUNAS vs. (#2) CARLA ESPARZA (#5) MICHAEL CHANDLER vs. (#7) TONY FERGUSON
Las Vegas – UFC® returns to Phoenix for the first time since 2019 with a blockbuster championship doubleheader. Headlining the event will be UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira seeking to defend his title against No. 1 ranked contender Justin Gaethje. In the co-main event, UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas looks to avenge her loss against No. 2 ranked Carla Esparza. Also on the card, top lightweights aim to make a statement as No. 5 contender Michael Chandler takes on No. 7 Tony Ferguson.
UFC® 274: OLIVEIRA vs. GAETHJE will take place Saturday, May 7 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz. All bouts will be simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with the ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass prelims. The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT followed by the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card that will kick off at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
UFC® 274: OLIVEIRA vs. GAETHJE tickets will go on sale Friday, March 25 at 10 a.m. PT and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, March 23 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, March 24 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
Reigning UFC lightweight king Oliveira (32-8, 1 NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas by way of Sao Paulo, Brazil) intends to further his legacy as champion by taking out one of his toughest opponents to date. The record holder for most UFC finishes, submissions and post-fight bonuses, Oliveira has established himself as one of the most exciting athletes on the entire roster. He is also currently on a 10-fight win streak, which includes notable victories over Dustin Poirier, Kevin Lee and Jim Miller. Oliveira now looks to defeat another top contender and continue his rise up the pound-for-pound ranks.
Former interim champion Gaethje (24-3, originally from Safford, Ariz., and fighting out of Arvada, Colo.) is one of the only lightweights that can match Oliveira’s impressive finishing ability. An NCAA All-America wrestler, he has earned nearly all his victories by knockout, including wins over Michael Johnson, James Vick and Edson Barboza. He now plans to put Oliveira’s resolve to the test and finally capture his first undisputed UFC title.
UFC strawweight titleholder Namajunas (12-4, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) returns to action seeking to successfully defend her belt for the second time by avenging her 2014 loss against Esparza. Among the most popular athletes on the UFC roster, she holds the record for most stoppage wins in strawweight history, including victories over former champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili. Namajunas now aims to leave no doubt that she is the best 115-pounder on the planet with a statement performance.
Esparza (19-6, fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) has her sights set on regaining her strawweight championship by replicating her submission victory over Namajunas. Currently on the longest win streak of her UFC career, she secured her shot at the crown with memorable performances over Yan Xiaonan, Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson. Esparza is now determined to prove that her first win over the champion was no fluke and begin her second reign atop the division.
Chandler (22-7, fighting out of Nashville, Tenn.) has wasted little time in cementing himself as a must-see fighter since joining the UFC roster. Already a highly regarded competitor before entering the stacked UFC lightweight division in 2021, he quickly ascended to the top of the ladder following a highlight reel KO over Dan Hooker. Chandler now expects to repeat the success from his debut by finishing Ferguson with a statement performance.
Fan favorite Ferguson (26-7, fighting out of Orange County, Calif.) has been entertaining audiences with his unique fighting style since winning season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2010. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Ferguson won his own interim UFC title by putting together the longest win streak in lightweight history with 12 consecutive victories, including wins over former title holders Anthony Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos. He now is gunning to get back on track and reinsert his name into the championship conversation by taking out Chandler.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Flyweight action sees Tracy Cortez (9-1, fighting out of Scottsdale, Ariz.) face off with Melissa Gatto (8-0-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
- The legendary Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (27-12-1, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) rematches with Ovince Saint Preux (25-16, fighting out of Knoxville, Tenn.) at light heavyweight
- Lightweight veterans finally battle when Donald Cerrone (36-16, 2 NC, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) meets Joe Lauzon (28-16, fighting out of Bridgewater, Mass.)
- No. 4 ranked flyweight contender Brandon Royval (13-6, fighting out of Lakewood, Colo.) and No. 9 ranked Matt Schnell (15-5, 1 NC, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) match up in an early Fight of the Night contender
- No. 14 ranked heavyweight contender Blagoy Ivanov (18-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Sofia, Bulgaria) seeks to defend his spot in the Top 15 against Marcos Rogerio De Lima (19-8-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
- Macy Chiasson (8-2, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) returns to action against Norma Dumont (7-1, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil) in a featherweight bout
- An exciting welterweight matchup sees Randy Brown (14-4, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) lock horns with Khaos Williams (13-2, fighting out of Jackson, Mich.)
- Welterweights Francisco Trinaldo (27-8, fighting out of Federal District, Brazil) and Danny Roberts (18-5, fighting out of Liverpool, England) aim to steal the show
- Dana White’s Contender Series signees collide as Kleydson Rodrigues (7-1, fighting out of Laranjal do Jari, Amapa, Brazil) and CJ Vergara (9-3-1, fighting out of San Antonio, Texas) compete at flyweight
- Ariane Carnelossi (14-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) looks to extend her win streak against Loopy Godinez (7-2, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada by way of Aguascalientes, Mexico) at strawweight
- Journey Newson (9-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Portland, Ore.) has his sights set on spoiling the UFC debut of Dana White’s Contender Series alum Fernie Garcia (10-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas)
About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 625 million fans and 178 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 75 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.
About Footprint Center
Located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix, for more than 30 years Footprint Center has been the home of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Arizona Rattlers and a multitude of live concerts and events each year. Following a $250 million transformation, Footprint Center is the preeminent destination for sports and entertainment in the southwest. The reimagined arena features state-of-the-art improvements that offer a world-class experience to all who step inside the doors. For more information, visit FootprintCenter.com.
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 17.1 million subscribers.
Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.