Charles Oliveira showed complete superiority over Max Holloway, winning the BMF title by unanimous decision at UFC 326, held at T-Mobile Arena.
From start to finish, Oliveira controlled the fight with grappling, consistently taking Holloway to the ground and denying him big strike opportunities. Although Holloway fought well against submissions, he failed to pose any real threat to the Brazilian, who added the iconic BMF belt to his collection after winning the lightweight title in 2021.
The BMF title was introduced by the UFC in 2019 to honor the promotion's "toughest fighter." After the fight, Oliveira told Holloway, "I respect you a lot, we're different from the rest. Some talk a lot, we do great things for our family and our sport. There are two BMFs, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway."
Both fighters, Holloway, 34, and Oliveira, 36, are considered among the most popular in the UFC and future Hall-of-Famers. Holloway holds the record for the most knockouts in UFC history with 3,681, while Oliveira has the most submission wins and most finishes in UFC history.
From the first round, Oliveira showed his transformation from “jiu-jitsu fighter” to “MMA fighter,” establishing complete control and demanding submissions for over four minutes on the ground. Holloway had a few stand-up encounters, but the Brazilian showed no respect for his power and continued to land multiple takedowns.
In the final minutes, Oliveira demonstrated dominance by imitating Holloway's signature move and exchanging leg kicks, as the victory was sealed after more than 20 minutes of ground control.
After the fight, Oliveira expressed interest in participating in the UFC event at the White House on June 14, where Ilia Topuria will face interim titleholder Justin Gaethje. If added to the card, Oliveira could defend the BMF title.
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