Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira’s incredible journeys would always feel incomplete if they never crossed paths again.
UFC 326’s headliners have little more to add to their Hall of Fame résumés, with Holloway’s championship run at 145 pounds marking him as one of the three best featherweights of all time, and Oliveira having completed his arduous climb to the top of the lightweight mountain—arguably the steepest challenge in MMA—in 2021. Then there’s the comically long list of elite fighters the pair have knocked off, from Dustin Poirier to Justin Gaethje to Jose Aldo to Tony Ferguson to Anthony Pettis and numerous others.
But even before their first meeting on a fateful day in August 2015 in exotic Saskatoon, it was clear both fighters were destined for greatness, and that featherweight main event was supposed to give us an indicator of who was further along on their path. Instead, disappointment. An injury to Oliveira brought an unsatisfying end to the contest less than two minutes in. Holloway got the W, but not affirmation that he was the better man.
Now, over a decade later, closure. Holloway brings the “BMF” championship to the rematch, a tertiary title that could lead to one more shot at undisputed gold for Saturday’s victor; for Oliveira, Holloway would be the most impressive victory of his career.
For fans, this is one more opportunity to appreciate two of the Best Mother F*ckers ever.
Where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
When: Saturday, March 7. The three-fight early preliminary card begins at 5:30 p.m. ET, followed by a four-fight preliminary card at 7 p.m. ET. The five-fight main card begins at 9 p.m. ET with the entire event streaming live on Paramount+. For the first time ever, portions of the event will be simulcast on CBS, including the last hour of the prelims and the first hour of the main card.
(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings and Pound-for-Pound Rankings)
Max Holloway (4, P4P-12) vs. Charles Oliveira (3, P4P-19)
Max Holloway, take us home.
Count me among the many fans that have been calling for this rematch for some time and now that it’s here, there’s a sense of finality to it. A sense that Holloway will be the one to definitively close this chapter. And a sense that Charles Oliveira’s time as a viable UFC contender is over.
I love me some “do Bronx,” probably one of my 10 favorite fighters ever. I’ll be cheering as loud as anyone if Oliveira manages to get through Holloway’s defenses and put together one of his breathtaking finishing sequences. Win or lose, Oliveira has always sent the fans home happy and I don’t expect that to change Saturday. Can you imagine Oliveira actually managing to take Holloway down and keep him there, and then work his way towards yet another submission? What a fun scenario!
However, equally as fun—and more likely—is Holloway successfully avoiding takedowns as he has so many times in the past, and then turning this into a striking exhibition. One thing Oliveira has never been known for is defense, and if you go blow-for-blow with Holloway, it usually doesn’t go well. I’m looking at you Justin Gaethje, Korean Zombie, and Brian Ortega.
There will be some blood-pumping moments in this fight for as long as it lasts, and I’m glad it’s finally happening. But this is Holloway’s time to knock off another legend and secure a title fight for himself down the road.
Caio Borralho (9) vs. Reinier de Ridder (8)
Reinier de Ridder had quite a few excuses after his disappointing loss to Brendan Allen… and I believe every one of them!
Look, it’s hard to fight four times in a year. Especially for a guy like “RDR,” who, at a towering 6-foot-5, doesn’t have an easy cut down to 185 pounds. That UFC Vancouver main event was a calculated risk on the Dutchman’s part and it blew up in his face in a major way.
We’re not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I still think de Ridder is a threat to fight for a UFC title. Especially if he upsets Caio Borralho.
The proud Fighting Nerds representative is strongly favored for a reason. Borralho is an excellent grappler, has plenty of pop on the feet, and he has the edge in athleticism in this matchup, too. Then there’s the added motivation coming off of his first UFC loss. He can make a statement by putting de Ridder away early.
Not going to happen. De Ridder will make this a middleweighty middleweight bout—something Borralho has not been averse to in the past—and when the going gets funky, the funky get going. Call him unorthodox at times, but de Ridder is oddly effective on the feet and amazingly effective on the ground. Even against a high-level grappler like Borralho, I like de Ridder’s chances of dominating this matchup.
I’m aware this is an unpopular opinion and I guarantee if de Ridder lays another egg, this is the last time I’ll pick him.
Rob Font (13) vs. Raul Rosas Jr.
If Raul Rosas Jr. wants that number next to his name, he’s going to have to earn it the hard way.
Rob Font has been sending up-and-coming bantamweights packing for years and while David Martinez recently managed to break past the gates, that Font stumble was more the exception than the rule. The 38-year-old is damn-near impossible to finish, so Rosas better be ready for a cardio-testing three-round battle.
It’s no secret Rosas wants to wrestle early and often, and there’s no real reason he should deviate from that game plan. Font has good takedown defense, but putting him on his back should be Plan A, B, and C for Rosas. That’s not to say Rosas is a fish out of water in the standup, but Font’s chances of winning increase exponentially if this becomes a kickboxing match.
Rosas runs the risk of emptying his gas tank with failed takedown attempts, so this could be Font’s match to win in the later rounds if he stays upright. For now, I have faith in Rosas to break into the top 15. If he gets a top 10 opponent next… that’s a different story.
Drew Dober vs. Michael Johnson
Drew Dober has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the past, and Michael Johnson has been known to find a way to lose fights he’s on his way to winning.
Seems like a fairly predictable outcome to me.
These two have a ridiculous amount experience between them and they’ve won and lost in pretty much every possible way you can in this crazy business. So I admit that my take of “Dober hits harder so he will eventually hit the other guy super hard and win” is lacking in nuance and probably makes it sound like I’m discounting this fight going any other way.
But I’ve watched Dober turn it on at just the right moment too many times to doubt that he can summon that one-punch KO power yet again, especially against an opponent that is willing to take a licking even if he doesn’t always keep ticking. Get that $100,000 check ready for Dober.
Gregory Rodrigues vs. Brunno Ferreira
Brunno Ferreira is uniquely suited to deal with Gregory Rodrigues’ style, so don’t be surprised if this second fight looks similar to their first.
Short, stocky, and packing a heck of a punch, Ferreira makes the most of his unique frame, focusing on in-and-out movement and picking his spots for power shots and takedowns. It’s a strategy that can be frustrating to watch at times, but when Ferreira finds an opening, he usually makes the most of it and that’s how he maintains his spectacular finishing rate.
Rodrigues has improved his striking a lot since getting KO’d by Ferreira two years ago, to the point that he’s become one of the more well-rounded fighters in the middleweight division. I repeat this over and over again though, if he implements his superb grappling more, it could take him to another level. That could be the optimal path to victory against Ferreira, whose ground skills would be put to the test by “Robocop.”
There’s a lot of data for Rodrigues to work with here and I’ll be stunned if he falls to the same kind of counter that took him out last time. His defense is better, he’s a smarter fighter, and, most importantly, he knows firsthand that Ferreira can put him away with a single punch.
Rodrigues turns the tables and wins this rematch by submission.
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