UFC 274: Justin Gaethje thrives in firefights but risks scorching himself against Charles Oliveira

This week, Joe Lauzon produced perhaps the most succinct and fitting description of fellow UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje that has ever been uttered.

“He’s a guy who will light himself on fire just to burn you a little bit.”

Gaethje has been in enough firefights that we must have passed the point of labelling it a tendency, or proclivity; it is a speciality.

Still, it is difficult not to feel as though the fire with which the American is playing this week might just scorch him – potentially for good.

“Once a coward, always a coward.”

Those were Gaethje’s words this week as he offered his honest thoughts on UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, his opponent in the UFC 274 main event on Saturday.

Gaethje (23-3) was quick to backtrack; “I’m not calling him a coward, but you can’t just take that away.”

Similarly, however, Gaethje can’t just take those words away. This time, he might have set himself on fire before even setting foot in the Octagon.

The former interim champion has been quick to emphasise what he sees as Oliveira’s old tendency – proclivity, speciality – for “quitting” in fights. The 33-year-old is not the only one in the sport to have made the observation over the years.

What Oliveira’s last two fights have proven, though, is that such observations are severely outdated by this point. With seconds remaining in the first round of the Brazilian’s clash with Michael Chandler last May, Oliveira (32-8) looked to be beaten. Having been dropped to all fours, “Do Bronx” did his best to avoid Chandler’s punches – any one of which could have ended the fight and secured the American the vacant lightweight title. Oliveira did enough to reach the buzzer.

Within seconds of Round 2 having begun, the Brazilian had