Max Holloway had a tough night at UFC 326 on Saturday in Las Vegas. He faced Charles Oliveira for the BMF title and spent most of the fight on the mat after multiple takedowns. Oliveira controlled the action for more than 20 minutes, keeping Holloway from mounting any significant offense.
Even so, Holloway’s defense on the ground earned him respect from former champion Daniel Cormier.
Max Holloway pointed down in the final 10 seconds of the fight, and got caught with a right hand by Charles Oliveira 😬 #UFC326pic.twitter.com/F1TyK9N84k
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 8, 2026
Cormier applauds Holloway’s submission defense
“For Max Holloway, there wasn’t much good in this fight because he never got to fight,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “But what was very impressive was his submission defense. I don’t know that we’ve ever seen a guy on the bottom vs. Oliveira for as long as he spent on the bottom and not get submitted.
“If there is something that the Holloway team should look at as a positive, it’s that he fought off his back for 23 minutes, and Oliveira never got that close to submitting him. That was super impressive, but Holloway will be back. The guy is a champion, he’s an amazing fighter, and he will build himself back into contention.”
Holloway is determined to recover and fight back into title contention. Before this fight, he had won four of his last five bouts, including a memorable knockout over current interim champion Justin Gaethje.
This fight marked Holloway’s second main event in the lightweight division after moving up from featherweight. The new weight class allowed him to fight without extreme cuts and gain extra strength for his 5-foot-11-inch frame.
Despite losing the BMF title, Holloway’s ability to resist Oliveira’s submission attempts for over 20 minutes shows his toughness and skill. Fans and analysts continue to view him as one of the UFC’s top fighters.
