Charles Oliveira proved too much for Max Holloway at UFC 326.
The former lightweight champion dominated the former featherweight champ for five full rounds and added a BMF Title to his already-impressive list of career accomplishments.
Oliveira became the fourth fighter to earn the symbolic BMF championship; however, ironically, it turned out to be one of the least exciting fights of Oliveira’s UFC career.
The 36-year-old Brazilian star secured one takedown in each round and accumulated nearly 21 minutes of total control time in the 25-minute contest.
The inaugural BMF Title match in 2019 between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz was nothing particularly special, but the three BMF bouts that followed were. Justin Gaethje knocked out Dustin Poirier in 2023, Holloway flattened Gaethje at the last second in 2024, and Holloway sent Poirier into retirement in 2025 when they completed their trilogy.
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Oliveira vs. Holloway was far and away the least entertaining of the five BMF bouts to date. Oliveira racking up more than 80 per cent control time against a proven world-class talent and past champion like Holloway was a thoroughly impressive display, yet it was not the type of performance typically associated with the BMF fighting style many had anticipated seeing.
As counterintuitive as it may sound, if merely winning the fight becomes the primary goal in a BMF Title fight, then that means there’s nothing particularly special about them in the first place. Then it begs the question: what’s the point of continuing to market the BMF Title if a thrilling BMF-style fight is not guaranteed?
Based on how the relatively rudimentary main event unfolded at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, it’s unclear now which direction the organization will head when it comes to the future of the BMF belt.
With UFC 326 in the rearview mirror, below are some quick thoughts on potential future matchups to consider for the notable performers from the card.
Oliveira: If the Brazilian fan favourite and UFC brass both decide to keep the BMF Title an active belt, then a clash with France’s Benoit Saint Denis could be fireworks. Saint Denis, in theory, would be more effective in the grappling department than Holloway was, and he is extremely aggressive and powerful when striking. He has the type of fighting style typically associated with BMF scraps, plus he’s No. 5 in the lightweight contender rankings, so it would also be a relevant matchup related to the title picture, as Oliveira was ranked No. 3 before beating Holloway.
Nate Diaz, without whom the BMF Title would not exist, was among the notable fighters to react to Oliveira’s win. Conor McGregor and Dan Hooker also commented on Oliveira’s grappling-heavy approach.
Oliveira suggested he’d be open to big money, blockbuster matchups – even in the 170-pound division – but also told reporters at his post-fight media availability that he’s more interested in regaining the lightweight title.
“I'm going to be really attuned to the main event (of the White House card),” Oliveira said via a translator. “Those belts are going to be unified between Ilia (Topuria) and Gaethje, and a great fight between (Mauricio) Ruffy and (Michael) Chandler as well, but you know what I want. I want that belt, so let's see that fight. I'm going to go home, rest up, and we'll be tuning in to see what happens.”
Oliveira was the 155-pound champion from May 2021 to May 2022. He holds a 2022 submission win over Gaethje but was knocked out by Topuria when they fought for a vacant title last June. Depending on how the June 14 main event turns out, Oliveira could potentially be a candidate to face the winner later this year.
Holloway: The Hawaiian star was already the UFC recordholder for most strikes landed, and he added another one at UFC 326. With the fight going the distance, Holloway leapfrogged Rafael dos Anjos to become the fighter with the most total fight time in UFC history at 8:52:43. If Holloway wants another crack at a high-level grappler next, then he could target Paddy Pimblett, who’s looking to bounce back from his January decision loss to Gaethje.
On the other hand, if Holloway wanted a matchup with a fighter who prefers to strike, he could look to either Dan Hooker or to the winner of Michael Chandler vs. Mauricio Ruffy.
Caio Borralho: Brendan Allen is also coming off a win over Reinier de Ridder, and stylistically, the No. 4-ranked American would pair well with Brazil's Borralho, who was ranked No. 7 entering UFC 326. They met in a Karate Combat grappling match one year ago that Borralho won, and an MMA rematch would serve as a pivotal meeting in the middleweight division.
Reinier de Ridder: RDR went from being possibly one win away from earning a title shot to now being on a two-fight skid and on the verge of falling outside the top 10 at 185 pounds. De Ridder is a tremendous grappler, just like Anthony Hernandez, who’s coming off a February stoppage loss to Sean Strickland. Hernandez and de Ridder were supposed to headline UFC Vancouver this past October, but Hernandez withdrew about a month out, so why not run that one back?
Drew Dober: The slick southpaw had his own BMF moment at UFC 326 when he overcame a rough opening round and laid Michael Johnson out stiff in the second round of their lightweight matchup. His 11 KO/TKO wins are the most in UFC lightweight history, and the 155-pound brawler tends to either go out on his shield or eventually find a knockout finish. The same can usually be said of Hooker, who’d be a violent partner for Dober. Another option could be Jalin Turner, who looked great in his December TKO win over Edson Barboza.
Raul Rosas Jr.: After using his superior grappling control to sweep the scorecards against No. 13-ranked Rob Font, the young bantamweight needs another opponent with a number beside their name. No. 14-ranked Kyler Phillips has lost two in a row, including one to Font, but he’s the type of stiff test Rosas needs that still doesn’t feel like it’s too much too soon for the 21-year-old.
Gregory Rodrigues: Rodrigues avenged a previous loss to Brunno Ferreira and earned a $100,000 bonus for his knockout win at UFC 326. The standout Brazilian should sit back and wait for the winner of Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer at the end of March and call his shot to face the winner. Rodrigues versus either guy would be dynamite.
Cody Garbrandt: The former bantamweight champ persevered through multiple fouls and an impactful low blow to snap a losing streak. His win over Xiao Long was not ultra impressive, but how about a fun style matchup with Canadian Charles Jourdain next? Or, if the UFC gives Marlon Vera another chance to snap his lengthy losing streak, a pairing with “Chito” could also work.
