Matchups to make after UFC 326: Time to pause BMF Title bouts for a while?

Charles Oliveira proved an excessive amount of for Max Holloway at UFC 326.

The previous light-weight champion dominated the previous featherweight champ for 5 full rounds and added a BMF Title to his already-impressive listing of profession accomplishments.

Oliveira turned the fourth fighter to earn the symbolic BMF championship; nevertheless, mockingly, it turned out to be one of many least thrilling fights of Oliveira’s UFC profession.

The 36-year-old Brazilian star secured one takedown in every spherical and collected almost 21 minutes of whole management time within the 25-minute contest. 

The inaugural BMF Title match in 2019 between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz was nothing notably particular, however the three BMF bouts that adopted had been. Justin Gaethje knocked out Dustin Poirier in 2023, Holloway flattened Gaethje on the final second in 2024, and Holloway despatched Poirier into retirement in 2025 once they accomplished their trilogy.

Oliveira vs. Holloway was far and away the least entertaining of the 5 BMF bouts to date. Oliveira racking up greater than 80 per cent management time towards a confirmed world-class expertise and previous champion like Holloway was a totally spectacular show, but it was not the kind of efficiency usually related to the BMF preventing fashion many had anticipated seeing.

As counterintuitive as it might sound, if merely successful the combat turns into the first objective in a BMF Title combat, then meaning there’s nothing notably particular about them within the first place. Then it begs the query: what’s the purpose of constant to market the BMF Title if a thrilling BMF-style combat will not be assured?

Based mostly on how the comparatively rudimentary important occasion unfolded at T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas, it’s unclear now which course the group will head when it comes to the way forward for the BMF belt.

With UFC 326 within the rearview mirror, under are some fast ideas on potential future matchups to take into account for the notable performers from the cardboard.

Oliveira: If the Brazilian fan favorite and UFC brass each determine to maintain the BMF Title an energetic belt, then a conflict with France’s Benoit Saint Denis may very well be fireworks. Saint Denis, in concept, can be more practical within the grappling division than Holloway was, and he’s extraordinarily aggressive and highly effective when hanging. He has the kind of preventing fashion usually related to BMF scraps, plus he’s No. 5 within the light-weight contender rankings, so it might even be a related matchup associated to the title image, as Oliveira was ranked No. 3 earlier than beating Holloway.

Nate Diaz, with out whom the BMF Title wouldn’t exist, was among the many notable fighters to react to Oliveira’s win. Conor McGregor and Dan Hooker additionally commented on Oliveira’s grappling-heavy strategy.

Oliveira instructed he’d be open to huge cash, blockbuster matchups – even within the 170-pound division – but in addition informed reporters at his post-fight media availability that he’s extra eager about regaining the light-weight title.

“I am going to be actually attuned to the principle occasion (of the White Home card),” Oliveira mentioned through a translator. “These belts are going to be unified between Ilia (Topuria) and Gaethje, and a nice combat between (Mauricio) Ruffy and (Michael) Chandler as effectively, however what I need. I need that belt, so let’s examine that combat. I am going to go house, relaxation up, and we’ll be tuning in to see what occurs.”

Oliveira was the 155-pound champion from Might 2021 to Might 2022. He holds a 2022 submission win over Gaethje however was knocked out by Topuria once they fought for a vacant title final June. Relying on how the June 14 important occasion seems, Oliveira may doubtlessly be a candidate to face the winner later this 12 months.

Holloway: The Hawaiian star was already the UFC recordholder for most strikes landed, and he added one other one at UFC 326. With the combat going the space, Holloway leapfrogged Rafael dos Anjos to grow to be the fighter with essentially the most whole combat time in UFC historical past at 8:52:43. If Holloway needs one other crack at a high-level grappler subsequent, then he may goal Paddy Pimblett, who’s trying to bounce again from his January determination loss to Gaethje.

Alternatively, if Holloway needed a matchup with a fighter who prefers to strike, he may look to both Dan Hooker or to the winner of Michael Chandler vs. Mauricio Ruffy.

Caio Borralho: Brendan Allen can also be coming off a win over Reinier de Ridder, and stylistically, the No. 4-ranked American would pair effectively with Brazil’s Borralho, who was ranked No. 7 coming into UFC 326. They met in a Karate Fight grappling match one 12 months in the past that Borralho received, and an MMA rematch would function a pivotal assembly within the middleweight division.

Reinier de Ridder: RDR went from being probably one win away from incomes a title shot to now being on a two-fight skid and on the verge of falling exterior the highest 10 at 185 kilos. De Ridder is a large grappler, identical to Anthony Hernandez, who’s coming off a February stoppage loss to Sean Strickland. Hernandez and de Ridder had been supposed to headline UFC Vancouver this previous October, however Hernandez withdrew about a month out, so why not run that one again?

Drew Dober: The slick southpaw had his personal BMF second at UFC 326 when he overcame a tough opening spherical and laid Michael Johnson out stiff within the second spherical of their light-weight matchup. His 11 KO/TKO wins are essentially the most in UFC light-weight historical past, and the 155-pound brawler tends to both exit on his defend or ultimately discover a knockout end. The identical can normally be mentioned of Hooker, who’d be a violent companion for Dober. An alternative choice may very well be Jalin Turner, who seemed nice in his December TKO win over Edson Barboza.

Raul Rosas Jr.: After utilizing his superior grappling management to sweep the scorecards towards No. 13-ranked Rob Font, the younger bantamweight wants one other opponent with a quantity beside their identify. No. 14-ranked Kyler Phillips has misplaced two in a row, together with one to Font, however he’s the kind of stiff check Rosas wants that also doesn’t really feel prefer it’s an excessive amount of too quickly for the 21-year-old.

Gregory Rodrigues: Rodrigues avenged a earlier loss to Brunno Ferreira and earned a $100,000 bonus for his knockout win at UFC 326. The standout Brazilian ought to sit again and wait for the winner of Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer on the finish of March and name his shot to face the winner. Rodrigues versus both man can be dynamite.

Cody Garbrandt: The previous bantamweight champ persevered by a number of fouls and an impactful low blow to snap a dropping streak. His win over Xiao Lengthy was not extremely spectacular, however how about a enjoyable fashion matchup with Canadian Charles Jourdain subsequent? Or, if the UFC provides Marlon Vera one other likelihood to snap his prolonged dropping streak, a pairing with “Chito” may additionally work.