Oliveira Returns to Form in Rio, Holloway Fires Back at BMF Callout

Charles Oliveira entered the UFC Rio main event fully prepared for Mateusz Gamrot.

Oliveira (36-11 MMA, 24-11 UFC) extended his record for the most submission wins in UFC history to 17 when he caught Gamrot in a rear-naked choke in the second round of their clash at Farmasi Arena. “Do Bronx” made the former KSW champion pay for his wrestling-heavy attack, dominating him on the ground throughout the opening round before securing the finish midway through the second.

"We knew it," Oliveira said at the post-fight press conference (via an interpreter). "We knew he was going to try to do that. We said it before. But we knew the first round, he was going to be strong. So I’m the guy with the most submissions in the UFC. If it comes to jiu-jitsu, I’m the guy with the record. We just took the first round and went for the second.

“To be honest, the first round we knew was his strongest round. My coach was saying to, ‘Do this, do that. Elbows, throw this.’ But I just wanted to smother his game. Smother his game, get ready for the second round, and then be ready and collected and go for the kill in the second round.”

The victory puts Oliveira back in the win column just four months after he was knocked out by Ilia Topuria in their lightweight title fight at UFC 317.

Speaking in the Octagon immediately after the bout, Oliveira called for a matchup with Max Holloway for the BMF title, and he repeated that challenge during the post-fight press conference.

"Max is a guy who I have total respect for," Oliveira said. "It would be something amazing. Why not?”

Holloway responded to Oliveira’s callout during a livestream on Kick. The Hawaiian noted that he has already faced one Brazilian legend in Rio—when he dethroned José Aldo to win the featherweight title in 2017—and said he doesn’t believe he should have to step into the lion’s den a second time.

“No, I’m not f*cking going to Rio,” Holloway scoffed. “Fight in Las Vegas or something. We fight on my terms. We fight on my terms, brother. We went to Rio, we did that with the ‘King of Rio.’ Now it’s my turn to have a say.

“When you fight the King of Rio in some place, you take his village, right? You guys might be looking at the King of Rio. Just saying. Check the receipts.”