Former UFC welterweight contender Ben Askren spoke out about Charles Oliveira’s win over Max Holloway at UFC 326 in Las Vegas.
The fight was held at T-Mobile Arena. Oliveira earned the victory by taking Holloway down multiple times and controlling him for most of the fight, which Askren believes did not reflect the “BMF” spirit that fans expect.
The BMF belt began with Jorge Masvidal vs Nate Diaz and gained attention when Max Holloway knocked out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. In contrast, UFC 326 was dominated by grappling and ground control.
CHARLES OLIVEIRA DEFEATS MAX HOLLOWAY BY UNANIMOUS DECISION!
(50-45 x3) #UFC326 pic.twitter.com/n6vDhuzCVD
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 8, 2026
Askren questions Oliveira’s style
On his podcast “Funky and the Champ,” Askren said:
“This is going to be wild coming from me – real wild. What if they did a three-takedown maximum on BMF title fights? Three takedowns maximum, or you only get a minute on top – to this effect. It was boring – terribly boring. Well, listen: Even if I was a grappler … well, it felt weird because it was a BMF fight.”
He also noted that Oliveira did not take many risks while on top:
“But No. 2 is Charles did not – it was kind of like the (Khamzat) Chimaev fight, where Charles didn’t take chances on top. He wasn’t really, really aggressive with it. He was winning the striking, but was he? This is why I did OK in striking in MMA. Was he winning the striking because the other guy was scared of the takedown? Like, that’s definitely a possibility because Max Holloway had zero ability to get up, 21 minutes on bottom or something like that? It was something crazy.”
Oliveira entered the fight as the underdog but avenged his 2015 loss to Holloway, this time winning by decision after controlling most of the fight. His victory secured the BMF belt and added another accomplishment to his already impressive career.
While some fans were disappointed by the pacing, Oliveira’s approach demonstrated effective strategy and grappling mastery, confirming he can adapt against elite opponents.
Askren’s idea of limiting takedowns could lead to talks about future BMF fights, as fans and fighters weigh action versus strategy.
