Former UFC light-weight champion and present no. 2 ranked Charles Oliveira (36-11) already has his subsequent combat lined up, just below two months faraway from his newest look the place he’s anticipated to face no. 3 ranked former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway (27-8) for the BMF title in the principle occasion of UFC 326.
UFC 326 is to go down on March 7, 2026, stay from the T-Cellular Area in Paradise, Nevada.
This combat is a rematch of their 2015 encounter down at 145 lbs that noticed Holloway the victor through TKO (harm) the place Oliveira tore his esophagus simply 99 seconds into the competition.
That got here in the course of Holloway’s legendary 14-fight featherweight win streak, the place he went on to defeat the likes of Jeremy Stephens (UD) and Ricardo Lamas (UD) earlier than stopping former WEC & UFC light-weight champion Anthony Pettis (TKO) for the interim title.
Holloway then unified the titles in opposition to Jose Aldo (TKO) earlier than defending it in opposition to Aldo of their rematch (TKO), Brian Ortega (TKO), and former UFC light-weight champion Frankie Edgar (UD).
Holloway has since moved as much as 155 lbs the place he captured the BMF title in opposition to Justin Gaethje (KO) earlier than defending it in opposition to Dustin Poirier of their trilogy (UD), somebody he was 0-2 in opposition to stepping into.
After capturing essentially the most submission victories in UFC featherweight historical past Oliveira moved again as much as 155 lbs himself, happening an 11-fight win streak from 2018 to 2022 the place he defeated the likes of Clay Guida (guillotine choke), Christos Giagos (rear bare choke), Jim Miller (rear bare choke) of their rematch, David Teymur (anaconda choke), Nik Lentz (TKO) of their trilogy, Jared Gordon (KO), Kevin Lee (guillotine choke), and former interim champion Tony Ferguson (UD).
This led as much as his vacant title shot in opposition to former Bellator light-weight champion Michael Chandler, who he stopped (TKO) in spherical two to develop into the UFC light-weight champion. Oliveira adopted this up with defenses over former interim champions Dustin Poirier (rear bare choke) and Justin Gaethje (rear bare choke) earlier than shedding the title in 2022 to Islam Makhachev (arm-triangle choke).
Since then Oliveira has gone 3-2 with wins over Beneil Dariush (TKO), Michael Chandler of their rematch (UD), and Mateusz Gamrot (neck crank), the defeats coming to no. 1 ranked Arman Tsarukyan in a razor skinny choice he might’ve simply gotten the nod in, after which Ilia Topuria (KO) in one other vacant title combat again in June.
The Gamrot win was exceptionally spectacular.
This efficiency not solely prolonged Oliveira’s data for essentially the most finishes and submission victories in UFC historical past but additionally confirmed him develop into the primary man to ever cease the 25-3 former KSW two-division champion. Moreover, two of Gamrot’s defeats stepping into have been break up selections practically everybody scored for him; he might’ve simply been 27-1 going into that combat and Oliveira made it look simple.
That is the combat many people have been hoping would come subsequent for these two, who walks away from UFC 326 with the BMF championship?
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