Charles Oliveira def. Max Holloway (c) via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

The fifth BMF title fight in UFC history saw Charles Oliveira delivering a dominant grappling performance to take the belt away from Max Holloway in the UFC 326 main event at T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oliveira controlled the fight from start to finish, earning a unanimous decision win with all three judges scoring the bout 50-45.

From the opening bell, Oliveira made his intentions clear. He marched Holloway down, secured an early takedown with an outside trip, and repeatedly put the former featherweight champion on his back in every round. The former lightweight champion totaled an dominant 20 minutes and 49 seconds of control time, taking Holloway down in all five rounds and threatening submissions throughout. Oliveira, the UFC’s all time leader in submissions, came close on multiple rear naked choke and face crank attempts, but Holloway’s durability and composure allowed him to survive.

Despite Holloway’s impressive submission defense, he had no answer for Oliveira’s relentless wrestling. Oliveira consistently advanced position, landed the cleaner strikes, and dictated the pace on the ground. Holloway’s frustration became visible as the rounds wore on, even as he continued to show heart and resilience. Oliveira added a clean right knee early in the third round and punished Holloway with elbows from mount in the fourth, further separating himself on the scorecards.

Holloway briefly found success in the fifth round by scoring a takedown of his own, but it was short lived. Oliveira quickly reversed position and once again asserted control. In the final moments, Oliveira allowed Holloway to return to his feet, engaging in a brief exchange. Holloway pointed to the canvas in his trademark gesture, and Oliveira obliged, catching him with a right hand in the closing seconds to punctuate the performance.

The win made Oliveira the fourth BMF champion in UFC history and the first fighter to hold both the BMF title and an undisputed lightweight championship during his career. While the wrestle heavy approach drew mixed reactions from the crowd, the performance showcased another evolution in Oliveira’s ever improving skill set. His ability to repeatedly take down Holloway, something few fighters have ever managed, proved decisive.

Oliveira improved to 37-11 (1 NC) and has now won consecutive fights since losing a vacant lightweight title bout to Ilia Topuria. Holloway, meanwhile, suffered his first loss since moving up to lightweight full time, snapping a run that included BMF title wins over Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. Despite the defeat, Holloway earned respect for his toughness and sportsmanship, traits that once again defined his performance even in a one sided loss.

UFC 326: Holloway vs Oliveira 2 Results

• Charles Oliveira def. Max Holloway (c) via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
• Caio Borralho def. Reinier de Ridder via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Raul Rosas Jr. def. Rob Font via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Drew Dober def. Michael Johnson via second-round TKO (punch)
• Gregory Rodrigues def. Brunno Ferreira via first-round knockout (punch)
• Cody Garbrandt def. Xiao Long via unanimous decision (28-27, 28-27, 28-27)
• Donte Johnson def. Cody Brundage via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Alberto Montes def. Ricky Turcios via second-round submission (anaconda choke)
• Nyamjargal Tumendemberel def. Cody Durden via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Su Mudaerji def. Jesús Santos Aguilar via unanimous decision (30-27 30-27, 30-27)
• Diyar Nurgozhay def. Rafael Tobias via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Rodolfo Bellato def. Luke Fernandez via first-round knockout (punches)