UFC champion Charles Olivera insists he is better striker than Justin Gaethje

Oliveira is known for his grappling skills and has the most submission wins in UFC history, but the lightweight champion thinks he holds a stand-up advantage over Gaethje

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Charles Oliveira insists he doesn’t need to submit Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 as he holds all the advantages over him.

Oliveira makes the second defence of his lightweight belt against former interim champion Gaethje on Saturday. The Brazilian, who has the most submission wins in UFC history, is unbeaten in his last 10 fights with six of those wins coming by submission.

Gaethje is known for being one of the hardest hitters in the 155lb division, but Oliveira feels his striking is a lot better than it used to be and he isn’t a one trick pony. ‘Do Bronx’ said he is stronger than Gaethje in every area and thinks his opponent’s only tool is his fists,

“Justin is a guy who is a brawler, believing in his hands 100 per cent because that’s all he’s got, his hands,” Oliveira said on the UFC 274 countdown show. “I have all the advantages over him, I’m better on my feet, on the ground and at wrestling. My mind and spirit is better than his. I’m the champion, that’s the reality.”

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A third-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Oliveira holds a clear advantage over Gaethje in the grappling department but he refuses to focus on just taking Gaethje down. The 32-year-old has found confidence in his striking and vowed to show off the “firepower” in his hands.

“Everyone’s saying ‘you have to take him down, you have to worry’. I’m not worried about taking him down, I have no worries really. I believe so much in the firepower in my hands and I’ve been showing it,” he told Brazilian MMA Legends

“I’ve been evolving. I won a very important fight against Dustin Poirier. I took a lot of counter punches but I could move, I could swing. I’m not training just to take him down, I don’t train like that. I tell people there’s going to be a shock, because we are going to break each other.

Gaethje has previously criticised Oliveira for quitting in his past fights, as the current champion was finished four times in six fights earlier on in his current UFC stint. But Gaethe’s coach Trevor Wittman thinks Oliveira’s mindset has become tougher and less breakable in his recent fights.

“Charles, I used to feel he was breakable but he has gotten better mentally, that weak [mindset] in there doesn’t really come out anymore,” Wittman said.