The UFC seasonal press conference was held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas today ahead of the UFC’s last-ever PPV, which goes down tomorrow night.
At the event, a slew of fighters who will be taking part in some high-level fights over the next few months at various UFC events gathered, including Alexander Volkanovski, Diego Lopes, Justin Gaethje, and Paddy Pimblett, but the UFC dropped a huge bombshell announcement regarding the main event of UFC 326, which will also take place at T-Mobile Arena.
It was announced that Max Holloway will be defending his BMF Championship against former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira in a fight that could serve as a Lightweight Championship eliminator, and it’s safe to say it’s going to be one of the biggest fights of 2026.
More UFC Content From TWSN:
Arman Tsarukyan Is Being Hosed By The UFC
Alexander Volkanovski Vs. Diego Lopes Makes No Sense For UFC …
Which UFC Welterweight Contender Should Be Next For The Title?
Charles Oliveira vs. Max Holloway Is A Rematch That Actually Makes Sense
For those who remember, this is a fight that already happened once before, although barely.
Over 10 years ago, Holloway and Oliveira met at Featherweight in the main event of a fight night in Canada, but the fight ended just over a minute and a half into the first round due to a neck injury to Oliveira that rendered him unable to continue.
It was very upsetting at the time, because this was a fun fight that many had wanted to see play out, but MMA can be a cruel game, as we all know, and sometimes things just don’t come to fruition.
In the 10 years since they first crossed paths, both men have become all-time greats, dominating their divisions and putting their names all over the UFC history books.
Both men have won UFC Championships, Holloway holds the record for most significant strikes landed in UFC history, and Oliveira holds the record for most submissions, finishes, and performance bonuses in UFC history.
Saying that they may be the two most exciting fighters in the history of the sport somehow doesn’t even do it justice, and that means one thing: the fans are in for something special at UFC 326.
Charles Oliveira vs. Max Holloway Will Be The 2026 Fight Of The Year
Anytime that Charles Oliveira or Max Holloway gets in the cage, you can basically guarantee a Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonus as well as a Fight of the Year contender.
Match them up against each other, and we may see one of the craziest fights in UFC history, for as long as it lasts.
Charles Oliveira vs. Max Holloway Prediction
Both fighters have questions coming into this fight that will play roles in how it unfolds, but none of them are bigger than the one surrounding the state of Charles Oliveira’s chin now that he’s facing a legitimate killer with one-shot knockout power in the feet for the first time since Ilia Topuria turned his lights out.
It’s a narrative that will surely be beaten to death during the buildup, but it’s a valid talking point when predicting the fight.
However, the thing that must be talked about the most is will Charles Oliveira show the disciplined defense necessary to stay in there long enough to find the win?
Charles Oliveira isn’t exactly the poster boy for head movement, which has gotten him in quite a bit of trouble throughout his career. He has been durable, but he’s also been susceptible to getting tagged on the feet and dropped in a lot of his fights.
If this fight is to play out on the feet for a majority of the time, the advantage must be given to Max Holloway, who will likely be able to employ the same game plan that Ilia Topuria used against Oliveira.
Oliveira walks forward at his opponents and welcomes the chaos, which means that Holloway won’t have to close the distance, as Oliveira will be doing it for him.
Oliveira does a lot of his best work when he ties you up in the clinch, however, as he has great knees and elbows to cause damage as well as great takedowns and trips to drag you down to the ground, where he is, of course, as dangerous as anyone in UFC history.
Ultimately, Holloway will have a slight advantage on the feet, and his takedown defense and defensive grappling are far too good for Oliveira to get much done.
This will be a very good and competitive fight that both men will have success in, but the advantage goes to Holloway in this one, and it likely comes by way of TKO or decision, based on how well Oliveira’s chin holds up in his first real stand-up test since he was put out badly last June.
