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Charles Oliveira Claims BMF Championship at UFC 326 in Las Vegas

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Oliveira Dominates Holloway to Claim BMF Title at UFC 326

Charles Oliveira defeated Max Holloway by unanimous decision to win the BMF championship at UFC 326 in Las Vegas.

Oliveira, who entered the fight as an underdog, primarily utilized a grappling strategy throughout the five-round bout.

Main Event Overview

The main event of UFC 326 featured Charles Oliveira against Max Holloway for the BMF championship. Oliveira secured the title via a unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the contest 50-45 in his favor. Prior to the event, Oliveira had publicly expressed his intent to win the title for his mother's birthday, with his family attending the event.

Fight Details

Oliveira's approach to the fight focused on takedowns, consistently engaging Holloway on the ground. In the first round, Oliveira secured a position on Holloway's back and attempted various submissions, which Holloway successfully defended. Oliveira maintained control through dominant grappling in the second round.

During the third round, some streaming viewers reported a temporary loss of approximately two minutes of action due to a black screen. As the fight progressed into the championship rounds, the crowd's reaction was noted as mixed, with some expressions of discontent. Oliveira continued to execute his grappling-focused game plan.

The fifth round included a period where Holloway was in a top position before Oliveira regained control. Additionally, Oliveira landed more effective strikes during standing exchanges. Despite Holloway's effective submission defense in challenging positions, he was unable to consistently counter Oliveira's wrestling strategy.

Fighter Context and Post-Fight

This victory marked a notable development in Oliveira's fighting style, particularly highlighting his wrestling skills. He had previously lost to Holloway in 2015, then primarily recognized as a jiu-jitsu fighter, and has since developed his striking capabilities. Oliveira's professional record now stands at 37-11 (1 NC), extending his streak of consecutive wins since a vacant lightweight title bout.

For Max Holloway, this represented his first defeat since his permanent transition to the lightweight division. Following his championship win, Oliveira publicly requested to be added to the UFC's "White House card."

UFC 326 Event Results

Main Card

  • BMF Championship - Lightweight: Charles Oliveira def. Max Holloway via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
  • Middleweight: Caio Borralho def. Reinier de Ridder via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Bantamweight: Raul Rosas Jr. def. Rob Font via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Lightweight: Drew Dober def. Michael Johnson via KO (punch) at 1:53 of R2
  • Middleweight: Gregory Rodrigues def. Brunno Ferreira via KO (punch) at 1:47 of R1

Preliminary Card

  • Bantamweight: Cody Garbrandt def. Xiao Long via unanimous decision (28-27, 28-27, 28-27)
  • Middleweight: Donte Johnson def. Cody Brundage via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Featherweight: Alberto Montes def. Ricky Turcios via submission (anaconda choke) at 0:40 of R2
  • Flyweight: Nyamjargal Tumendemberel def. Cody Durdern via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Early Prelims

  • Flyweight: Su Mudaerji def. Jesus Aguilar via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Light Heavyweight: Diyar Nurgozhay def. Rafael Tobias via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Light Heavyweight: Rodolfo Bellato def. Luke Fernandez via TKO (punches) at 2:42 of R1