Charles Oliveira got back to winning ways against Max Holloway at UFC 326 to win the BMF title.
Oliveira’s overwhelming pressure was enough to get the win by a unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
With the Brazilian coming off a devastating knockout loss to Ilia Topuria back in June last year, he had a big point to prove to show why he was still one of the elite fighters in the lightweight division.
As for Holloway, his latest win against Dustin Poirier was a five round war and was looking to continue the momentum against Oliveira in Las Vegas.
A reunion of old foes
Oliveira and Holloway’s first fight took place 11 years ago as young and promising fighters, while on a fight night event in Canada, Holloway was the one to snatch the victory after Oliveira suffered a shoulder injury which forced him to quit during the first round.
A Chaotic start
The fight started on fire with Oliveira immediately asserting himself with looping hooks which closed the distance, his world-class jiu-jitsu then came into play as he subsequently squeezed Holloway’s neck with a neck crank. The Hawaiian stayed resilient and got out of a sticky situation.
A lesson in disciplined aggression
Oliveira maintained his early intensity throughout the fight. The second started with the Brazilian on top of Holloway once again, as he completely nullified his best assets by forcibly mauling him to the ground, which was then followed by crushing elbows which reigned down on Holloway’s head.
By the half way point of the fight, Oliveira’s constant clinching had drained Holloway’s gas tank, as the fight made its way to the ground once again where the 36 year old Sao Paulo native continued to suffocate Holloway’s body with a snake-like precision.
A strong Finish
As the fight continued into the championship rounds, Oliveira once again dragged the 34 year old into deep-waters with no chance of escape, as Oliviera accumulated more damage with strikes to the body and elbows to the face in the meantime.
Charles showed great variety in his striking as he pinned Holloway back with some fast-paced combination punching, and later mixed it up once again with a well-timed single leg take down which floored the 34 year old.
Despite a late flurry in the last 10 seconds by both fighters, it was Charles who came out on top with a convincing performance.
Oliveira’s final run to the top
With Oliveira back to winning ways and a belt holder after a dominant display against a worthy opponent, he has propelled himself back into the title contender picture, however with him being 36 years old, he has a limited window of opportunity.
And with a long record of 37 wins, 11 losses and one no contest, the damage and mileage he has accrued throughout his career could be telling in later fights.
As for Holloway, he also finds himself in a similar stage of his career, and will be looking for redemption soon.
