Max Holloway will defend his BMF title this Saturday when he faces Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 326 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The bout marks a rematch more than a decade in the making, as the two first met in 2015, when Holloway secured a first-round victory after Oliveira was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Speaking to reporters at the UFC 326 media day on Wednesday, Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23-8 UFC) expressed respect for Oliveira (36-11 MMA, 24-11 UFC) and said the Brazilian is a fitting challenger for the BMF belt.
“I think he's a BMF. I think he's fitting for sure,” Holloway said. “A lot of people are making this fight to be a striker versus grappler. They got it all wrong. This guy (even he said it), he was a jiu-jitsu guy before, and now he's an MMA guy.”
Oliveira, a former UFC lightweight champion, holds multiple promotional records, including the most submission victories in UFC history. While he built his reputation as one of the sport’s most dangerous grapplers, Holloway pointed out that Oliveira’s recent success has often come from a more well-rounded approach.
“A lot of his submission wins have been coming from striking first,” Holloway said. “He's hurting these guys on the feet, then he's submitting them. That's a pretty BMF thing to do, so, you know, nothing but love for him.”
Despite holding a win over Oliveira on his record, Holloway acknowledged that their first encounter left fans wanting more. The bout ended prematurely after Oliveira suffered an injury early in the opening round, preventing the fight from developing as many had hoped.
“At the end of the day, the first fight was just a letdown,” Holloway admitted. “I'm not even going to lie about it. I think a lot of people were disappointed. I think a lot of people don't even count it, you know what I mean? It's on the record, but it is what it is.”
For Holloway, the rematch offers a chance to deliver the type of fight that their original meeting never had the opportunity to become.
“We’re here, we get to right that wrong, and I’m excited for it,” he said.
