Max Holloway is looking to make a statement at UFC 326.
Holloway is set to defend his BMF belt in the main event of UFC 326 in Las Vegas in a rematch against Charles Oliveira. Heading into the bout, many expect Holloway to want to keep it standing to avoid Oliveira’s jiu-jitsu skills.
However, Holloway said he’s open to going down to the ground with the Brazilian and hints at wanting a submission win over Oliveira.
“It is what it is,” Holloway said at UFC 326 media day. “I didn’t get to show too much of my submission skills in the octagon anyway. That would be pretty BMF. That would be pretty BMF to go submit the submission artist. Charles can say whatever he wants. He can say whatever. I can say whatever I want. Come Saturday night, we get to find out. That’s the beautiful thing about it.”
Oliveira hasn’t been submitted since Islam Makhachev did it in 2022, and the Brazilian has only been submitted four times in his career. And, although Holloway isn’t known as a grappling specialist, he believes he has the tools to submit Oliveira at UFC 326.
Max Holloway believes Charles Oliveira is BMF worthy
If Holloway can’t get the submission win over Oliveira, he knows the fight will be exciting for the fans.
Max Holloway knows he and Charles Oliveira are always down to scrap and put on entertaining fights, so he expects it to be a BMF-worthy fight.
“I think he’s a BMF,” Holloway said. “I think it’s fitting for sure. A lot of people are making this fight to be a striker vs. grappler. They’ve got it all wrong. This guy, even he said it. He was a jiu-jitsu guy before.
“Now he’s an MMA guy, and a lot of his submission wins have been coming from striking first. He’s hurting these guys on the feet, and then he’s submitting them. That’s a pretty BMF thing to do. So nothing but love for him.”
Holloway enters the bout coming off a decision win over Dustin Poirier to defend his BMF belt.
Do you think Max Holloway will beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 326?