Charles Oliveira explains what Justin Gaethje must do to avoid being KO’d by Ilia Topuria

Key Highlights

• The Brazilian star was finished in the opening round after a huge shot from the Spaniard. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith Gaethje’s aggressive style, some expect him to suffer a similar fate when they eventually meet.‘Do Bronx’ told CasinoBeats that Gaethje would need a different approach to avoid it. He explained: “It’s a very similar fight.
• They’re both fighters who look for the fight and want the knockout.“Unfortunately, I made a lot of mistakes in that fight (against Topuria) and I lost.
• I think the right path is to apply pressure, to work, to strike on the feet but always closing the distance, trying to take him down.“That would be the key, pressure from start to finish, landing shots, taking him down, keeping him on the ground.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCharles Oliveira could return to title picture after UFC 326Oliveira has faced both the reigning champ and his interim challenger before, and there is a path back to the title mix if results fall his way. The Brazilian is set to headline UFC 326 in March, taking on Max Holloway for the BMF belt.
• The winner will be right in the conversation for a lightweight title shot. If Gaethje does come out on top, Oliveira’s previous submission win over him in 2022 could make a rematch an easy sell. Since then, he has had two chances to reclaim the belt but came up short against Islam Makhachev and Topuria, following a weight miss that ended his championship run. READ MORE: Kayla Harrison returns to the gym, reveals neck surgery scar after serious injury scare.