How much emphasis should one really put on the first meeting between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira, ahead of their rematch at UFC 326?
The answer, most likely, is “very little.”
That first fight was not only more than a decade ago, back in 2015 in chilly Saskatoon in Canada, but it had seen Oliveira go down early due to injury. The nature of that injury, which seemed to involve the Brazilian’s neck, was never fully explained, but in the years that followed, both men worked their way to divisional titles: Holloway first, at featherweight, then Oliveira at lightweight.
Holloway now holds the UFC’s symbolic “BMF” title, and was putting it on the line for the second time in the UFC 326 main event.
The two fan favorites opened round one meeting in the middle, with Charles Oliveira landing two hard low kicks. Holloway quickly responded, firing multiple jabs straight to the nose of his opponent. In response, Oliveira exploded in the pocket, landing a series of hooks that forced the Hawaiian to clinch with the decorated Brazilian.
Charles took advantage of the engagement, picking up Holloway and slamming him to the canvas into top control. Now in his comfort zone, Oliveira began working on the mat, landing short strikes while passing Holloway’s guard. Max, attempting to build back up, gave his back to the Brazilian where it was nearly lights out for “Blessed.” Charles locked in his first submission attempt, then another, followed by a neck crank, but Holloway defended them all and even flashed a smile afterward, seemingly taking a small moral victory.
Back to the action in round two, Holloway opened on the feet with his quick jab, trying to regain momentum from the first. The success was short-lived, however, as Oliveira shot a well-timed takedown on an off-balance Holloway, driving him into the cage and quickly taking his back with little defense from “Blessed.”
Another rear-naked choke was attempted but quickly abandoned by “Do Bronx,” who transitioned into a brutal series of elbows. Each strike from Oliveira forced Holloway to react, opening another opportunity for the Brazilian to threaten his fourth rear-naked choke in the first eight minutes of the fight. Holloway was once again able to survive the submission attempts, but with two rounds in the bank, Oliveira appeared firmly in control.
Highlighted by a few television blackouts across the world, the action continued on a familiar pattern as Oliveira landed a massive judo toss to bring “Blessed” to the mat. Holloway, worn down by this point, prioritized submission defense and positioning rather than trying to scramble back to his feet. Content with the control against a defensive Holloway, “Do Bronx” cruised his way to another clear 10-9 round.
Now in deep waters, round four began with both fighters exchanging on the feet for the first 30 seconds, giving fans glimpses of the striking battle many had hoped to see. Holloway landed a clean shot up the middle that slightly stunned the Brazilian, but it ultimately led to “Do Bronx” shooting along the cage. Max briefly defended the attempt, though Oliveira eventually regained top position for the remainder of the round, punishing “Blessed” with elbows and ground strikes.
In serious trouble of losing his belt down four rounds to none, Max Holloway entered the fifth and final round needing a finish. Charles exploded out of his corner, landing a right hook on Holloway before changing levels for another takedown. Holloway finally found some success in the grappling exchange, reversing Oliveira and briefly gaining top control. However, he was unable to generate much offense, as Charles stayed extremely active from the bottom before eventually reversing the position and returning to top control for the final minutes of the fight.
In the closing seconds, fans got a brief taste of what the BMF title is all about. Holloway escaped Oliveira’s grasp and pointed to the center for the final five seconds. Hawaii’s very own cracked Oliveira with a right hand as the clock hit zero, but there simply wasn’t enough time to do any real damage.
A mix of boos and cheers rained down as a dominant performance from Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira was rewarded with the BMF title, scoring a unanimous decision victory over Max “Blessed” Holloway.
Despite tonight’s announcement of the White House card, Charles Oliveira remains focused on being part of what could become the biggest event of the year. The Brazilian superstar improves to 37-11, adding another piece of hardware to his crowded collection of mixed martial arts greatness.
Official Result: Charles Oliveira def. Max Holloway by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
