UFC 274: Five things we learned as Charles Oliveira and Carla Esparza win
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The lightweight belt is vacant after Oliveira failed to make the weight at 155lbs
UFC 274 will live long in the memory.
Charles Oliveira arrived in Phoenix, Arizona, as the lightweight champion but he's leaving the 'Valley of the Sun' without the belt despite being victorious against Justin Gaethje.
Rose Namajunas lost her strawweight title to Carla Esparza and Tony Ferguson was on the receiving end of a brutal knockout by Michael Chandler.
The atmosphere in Phoenix was electric. We saw upsets, shocking moments and everything in between.
Here's five things we learned at UFC 274.
Oliveira is built differently
Normally when a fighter is hurt, the ending to the bout is not far away.
Not with Charles Oliveira. In his past three fights, Oliveira has been dropped by Chandler, Dustin Poirier and now Gaethje. Yet, he's come back with stoppage wins in all three of those fights.
He's built differently.
He had to vacate his title after missing the weight by half a pound but he will get an opportunity to fight for the gold he never lost in the octagon.
Fellow lightweight contender Islam Makhachev congratulated Oliveira before laying down the challenge:
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Former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov backed up Makhachev's claim:
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Oliveira called out McGregor following the fight and the Irishman responded through social media.
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Esparza dethrones Namajunas
It won't go down as a classic, but Esparza is a now two-time strawweight champion. The crowd were booing throughout because there wasn't much action.
But the records show that Esparza has two victories over the former champion Namajunas.
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Chandler is box office
Chandler delivered one of the best knockouts in UFC history with a stunning front kick to Ferguson's chin.
Following the win, Chandler expertly called out McGregor. We've been used to hearing fighters call out the Irishman but this call-out carries weight. The crowd reaction was thunderous.
And it didn't take long for McGregor to accept the challenge.
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What now for Ferguson?
It's now four consecutive losses for Ferguson. The previous three defeats were lopsided and even though he started positively against Chandler, he was brutally knocked out by the former Bellator lightweight champion.
Ferguson is still a huge attraction in the sport. His popularity is up there with any fighter in MMA but his best days are behind him and at the age of 38, we are unlikely to see 'El Cucuy' fighting the elite in the lightweight division.
Cormier announced for 2022 UFC Hall of Fame
It was inevitable but now it's official. Former two-division champion Daniel Cormier will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
The ceremony is expected to take place this summer during International Fight Week in Las Vegas, which spans 26 June-2 July.
Cormier, who was part of the UFC commentary team in Phoenix, was incredibly emotional when it was announced:
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Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson congratulated Cormier.
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