Charles Oliveira vs Justin Gaethje: Michael Bisping 'not confident' picking the winner

Michael Bisping is ‘not confident’ that Charles Oliveira will beat Justin Gaethje – but if he had to pick anyone he is backing the Brazilian.

Oliveira, 31, has been the UFC lightweight champion since May 2021, while American Gaethje, ranked at No1, finds himself mandatory challenger for Oliveira’s gold-plated strap.

The pair will lock horns in an eagerly-anticipated match-up on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 274 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Paddy Power have ‘Do Bronx’ the favourite at 1/2, while Gaethje is seen as the underdog at 6/4.

However, Bisping doesn’t believe it is as straightforward as the oddsmakers are making out, as he insists Gaethje is more than capable of shocking the world and beating Oliveira.

Speaking to BT Sport, the British MMA icon also admitted he is not confident about picking the winner of Oliveira vs Gaethje.

Bisping said: “On the feet, Oliveira has shown that he can handle himself.

“Of course, the big question is can he take the power from Justin Gaethje? Hey, listen, why would we go against him?

“The man is on a 10-fight win streak, and I believe as the fight goes on throughout five rounds, I believe Oliveira can take Justin Gaethje down if he wears him down on the feet a little bit.

“And again, it all comes back to that jiu-jitsu ability, as well.

“So, I’m going to say – and it’s not a confident pick … it’s not a confident pick – but I’m going to say Charles Oliveira, and he gets another submission in the later rounds, four and five.”

“On the feet, Justin Gaethje hits incredibly hard – crazy leg kicks, awesome ground and pound, gas tank for days, and he knows that the pressure is on because he lost the world title fight against Khabib [Nurmagomedov], right?

“Now he’s getting a second