During this season of generosity, both Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira are realizing their aspirations. The UFC formally announced on Friday that a lightweight rematch featuring Holloway and Oliveira is scheduled for March 7, headlining UFC 326 in Las Vegas.
True to predictions, Holloway will defend his symbolic BMF title during the five-round match.
Oliveira publicly expressed his desire to challenge for Holloway’s BMF title in October, succeeding his second-round submission victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio. Holloway promptly accepted Oliveira’s challenge that same night, then emphasized his stance on the matchup in a recent interview with Uncrowned.
“That’s the confrontation I desire. It’s a showdown many individuals are eager to see,” Holloway stated to Uncrowned in October. “We share a history. Presently, there are limited individuals being considered as BMFs. However, Charles Oliveira certainly ranks among them. So, considering I have the chance to defend the BMF title against a highly respected opponent, with whom I have a past? And each time they refer to our initial encounter or he speaks about it, [attributing it to] an injury or any other excuse, then let’s resolve it.”
As Holloway alluded to, the two former UFC champions have a shared history.
Holloway, aged 33, and Oliveira, aged 35, memorably clashed over a decade ago at a UFC Fight Night event in August 2015, back when both were rising contenders striving to ascend the featherweight ranks. In an unconventional contest, Holloway secured victory in a mere 99 seconds after Oliveira sustained an apparent esophageal injury. Holloway seized the UFC interim featherweight title the following year and later became the undisputed champion in 2017, successfully defending the title three times before relinquishing it in 2019.
Holloway (27-8) maintains a flawless 2-0 record at lightweight since initially re-entering the division for a UFC 300 face-off against Justin Gaethje, a match Holloway won with a Knockout of the Year performance in 2024 to claim the BMF belt. Holloway augmented that display by effectively retiring his long-standing rival and fellow legend Dustin Poirier in a captivating, action-packed encounter at UFC 318 this past August.
Oliveira (36-11, 1 NC) also advanced to the lightweight division, becoming one of the most esteemed 155-pounders of this era, capturing the title in 2021 and defeating an impressive list of top competitors. Oliveira’s recent triumph over Gamrot followed just 105 days after enduring a severe knockout defeat in his fight against Ilia Topuria for the vacant UFC lightweight title.
UFC 326 is expected to unfold at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
