Justin Gaethje claims lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will quit at UFC 274

Justin Gaethje has explained why he believes Charles Oliveira ‘will quit’ against him when his renowned onslaught becomes too much. 

The UFC 274 lightweight title challenger has previously questioned the champion’s heart, claiming he has simply given up when the going gets tough. 

He has explained the reasoning for those comments and thinks he can exploit a mental fragility deep within Oliveira. 

Charles Oliveira (left) has quit before and will do so again, according to Justin Gaethje (right)

Oliveira has reigned supreme since Khabib Nurmagomedov vacated the belt

He told ESPN: ‘I wasn’t being overly critical, I wasn’t saying he was a bad champion, I was saying that in the times that he’s lost, he didn’t even get knocked out, he quit sometimes.

‘The choice to quit is something one makes, and once you make it, you can make it again, because you know that it’s there. 

‘I don’t believe I’ve ever made that choice. Some people haven’t and I believe some people have… I believe that he has, and that’s all I was saying. 

‘I believe, deep down, he knows his way out, and that’s to quit whenever he gets hit too many times too hard.’

Gaethje is a relentless fighter and is likely to test every ounce of Oliveira’s spirit. 

His heavy leg kicks, exceptional engine and aggression make for brutal contests and the challenger thinks he is the perfect man to expose shortcomings of ‘Do Bronx’. 

Gaethje (left) beat Michael Chandler in one of the best fights last year to earn his shot

‘All those assessments were of a younger man,’ he continued. ‘He’s [32] years old, he’s a man now, with confidence. 

‘A man with confidence is a dangerous man and he’s not the same man that I was referencing. But, again, deep down, once it happened once it will happen again, and I’m the perfect guy to show it to him. And I will show it to him May 7. 

‘I’ve got to stay out of grappling positions, obviously, but I’m going to put a hole right in his face and it’s going to be glorious.’ 

Gaethje is desperate to right the wrongs of his previous title defeat when he was given the opportunity against Khabib Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi.

He tapped out on that night and is now facing a man with more UFC submission wins than any fighter in history. 

It will be fascinating to see if he can maintain control of where the battle takes place and stave off the jiu-jitsu threat of the champion on Saturday night. 

=Nurmagomedov (left) defeated the American the last time he fought for the belt