In an event that promised strong emotions, Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira demonstrated his superiority against Max Holloway in a contest for the BMF title at UFC 326. Although the fight did not reach the intensity of other matches for the same title, Oliveira offered an impressive exhibition.
Oliveira’s Total Domination
Oliveira (37-11) dominated Holloway (27-9) throughout the fight, taking it to the judges’ unanimous decision with scores of 50-45. The former lightweight champion controlled the fight on the ground for 20:49 minutes, taking Holloway to the ground in each of the five rounds and seeking submission on multiple occasions.Oliveira’s strategy was clear from the start, pressuring Holloway and taking him to the ground with an initial takedown. Despite Holloway’s attempts to escape, Oliveira, known for his submission skills, came close to finishing the fight with choke and lock attempts. Holloway showed resilience, but could not avoid Oliveira’s dominance. Holloway, despite the difficulties, tried to change the course of the fight, but Oliveira maintained control, connecting significant blows and maintaining the dominant position. In the fifth round, Holloway achieved a takedown, but Oliveira quickly regained position.“I respect you a lot. I admire you a lot,” Oliveira said to Holloway in the post-fight interview. “We are different from the others. We sell fights in another way. My greatest pride is representing my family, just like you. It was incredible. These guys come here and talk a lot of shit. We come here, we do many beautiful things for our family. We fight and do great things for our children. If this division has two BMFs, those BMFs are Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway.”
Charles Oliveira
“I have to give Oliveira credit. He’s a great fighter, a true BMF and I wouldn’t trade him for anything. I’m going to come back, kick someone’s ass and be back in title contention. I’m not done yet. I’m going to see Mr. Oliveira again, that’s for sure.”
Max HollowayOliveira, after this victory, has a record of 2-0 since his technical knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in June. On the other hand, Holloway suffered his first defeat since he was knocked out by Topuria in October 2024.Caio Borralho Recovers
In the co-main event, Caio Borralho (22-3) recovered from his first UFC loss, defeating Reinier de Ridder (17-3) by unanimous decision. Borralho dominated the fight from the start, combining punches and kicks, while De Ridder tried to take the fight to the ground. Borralho defended the takedown attempts and secured the victory with a takedown of his own in the third round. Borralho, after this victory, expressed his desire to face former champion Dricus Du Plessis in his next fight.
