The principle occasion of UFC 326 produced a shock efficiency from Charles Oliveira in a rematch 11 years within the making for the ceremonial BMF title in Las Vegas.
Former light-weight Oliveira, 36, relied on his grappling to shut out and utterly dominate Max Holloway over 5 rounds inside T-Cellular Enviornment. Within the co-headliner, middleweight contender Caio Borralho bounced again from his first UFC defeat by profitable all three rounds on all three scorecards to take a choice from Reinier de Ridder.
Let’s check out the largest takeaways from an thrilling evening on the fights.
1. Charles Oliveira delivered the efficiency not sufficient of us noticed coming
Regardless of how legendary this matchup was on paper in a combat that set a file for essentially the most mixed UFC wins in a single combat, the 34-year-old Holloway held firmly as a virtually 2-to-1 betting favourite and plenty of (together with this author) predicted he would end Oliveira in an all-action combat. However, in hindsight, there merely wasn’t sufficient speak about simply how huge Oliveira is for the division. Traditionally, Holloway has been stingy on the subject of takedown protection. However he had by no means fought a grappler this huge or expert and it confirmed instantly. Oliveira routinely took Holloway down with ease and spent many of the first two rounds threatening chokes whereas beating the previous featherweight king up with floor and pound. Oliveira additionally held the benefit the uncommon occasions they exchanged on the toes to start every spherical. Already the UFC recordholder for finishes, submissions and post-fight bonuses, Oliveira additionally moved into second place for many wins (two behind Jim Miller’s file of 27). Including a reputation like Holloway to his legendary resume — and doing so by full domination — was one thing only a few pundits or followers had on their bingo card.
2. If we’re being trustworthy, Oliveira’s efficiency was not befitting of a BMF title combat
On one hand, it is exhausting to criticize a fighter who simply received seemingly each second of a 25-minute title combat in opposition to a fellow legend. However the BMF title was created to showcase the mixed toughness and violent putting of two motion legends and, with out query, MMA followers anticipated (rightfully) for this rematch to be an all-out conflict. Whereas Oliveira wasn’t precisely proof against exchanging strikes with Holloway (and the Brazilian doubled Holloway’s output in important strikes landed), he did rapidly shoot for takedowns in all 5 rounds and amassed an absurd management time of 20 minutes and 49 seconds over the 25-minute combat. This merely wasn’t the spirit of a title lineage that was created in 2019 to honor the swagger and exploits of celebrated brawlers Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. Nobody is saying Oliveira was anticipated to make this combat simpler for Holloway. It is simply that anymore performances just like the one Oliveira delivered on Saturday will rapidly make the delightfully gimmicky BMF title performed out and pointless.
3. Oliveira’s gameplan and post-fight demeanor proved what issues most to him
For “Do Bronx,” defeating Holloway of their rematch wasn’t in regards to the BMF title. It was about taking one large step ahead towards his actual objective: regaining the UFC light-weight title. That was obvious not solely by Oliveira’s resolution to grapple and methodically beat up Holloway but in addition his reluctance to name out an enormous title after the victory. As a substitute of making an attempt to safe a BMF title protection in opposition to, say, a returning Conor McGregor at July’s Worldwide Battle Week in Las Vegas, Oliveira pushed UFC brass for a last-minute alternative on the June White Home card and talked about his need for a title combat subsequent. Oliveira, who was knocked out by Ilia Topuria of their vacant light-weight bout final June, put himself in a powerful place to get a second probability ought to Topuria defeat interim titleholder Justin Gaethje within the lately introduced White Home major occasion.
4. Raul Rosas Jr. is evolving rapidly however nonetheless has extra work to do
At simply 21, Rosas was stepping up significantly in school on Saturday for his seventh stroll to the Octagon by going through his first ranked opponent in 38-year-old Rob Font. However regardless that Rosas would go on to cross the check with flying colours by pitching a shutout on all three scorecards and finishing a bantamweight three-round file of 16 takedowns, his efficiency was a bit one-dimensional. Rosas, who received his fifth straight bout since his lone professional defeat in a 2023 resolution loss to Christian Rodriguez, finally relied on his wrestling to a fault. Regardless that it was the correct strategic transfer to get previous the striking-heavy Font, it didn’t showcase whether or not Rosas’ personal putting may maintain up at this stage. Rosas will probably earn a top-15 rating with the win and remains to be on tempo at 21 years, 5 months to probably break Jon Jones’ UFC file (23 years, 8 months) because the youngest champion. However it will likely be tough to name him a real title risk till he ranges up his putting to the place his unimaginable grappling expertise already lie.
5. ‘RoboCop’ is quietly changing into a respectable risk at middleweight
Within the three years since Gregory Rodrigues was knocked out in Spherical 1 by countryman Bruno Ferreira, he received six of his subsequent seven fights, together with 4 by knockout. However it wasn’t till he modified his demeanor and gameplan getting into their rematch on Saturday that he actually appeared like a future title contender. The 34-year-old Rodrigues opened calm, cool and affected person this time, which is a departure from his regular aggressive begins which have usually left him fatigued late in fights. Not solely did Rodrigues management distance, he waited for the risk-taking Ferreira to come back to him and lined him up with an ideal proper cross to knock him out lower than two minutes into their rematch. Rodrigues has at all times had dimension, large energy and a strong floor sport but when he continues so as to add the veteran wrinkles and make the most of his combat IQ, a run into the highest 10 seems probably.
