Charles
Oliveira eliminated all drama from a long-awaited rematch that
had the buying public brimming with anticipation.
The Chute Boxe superstar flashed his superiority in all phases,
seized the symbolic BMF title and raised his
Ultimate Fighting Championship profile to new heights with a
one-sided unanimous decision over Max
Holloway in the
UFC 326 main event on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
All three judges scored it 50-45 for Oliveira (37-11, 25-11 UFC),
who avenged his 2015 loss to the former featherweight champion and
future hall of famer.
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Holloway (27-9, 23-9 UFC) had no answers for the Brazilian
grappling savant. Oliveira attacked with leg kicks and powerful
right hands in standup exchanges but separated himself through
takedowns, suffocating control and a relentless submission game. He
struck for takedowns in all five rounds, advanced to Holloway’s
back on several occasions and alternated between rear-naked chokes,
face cranks and neck cranks, feeding him an unhealthy dose of
elbows along the way. His game plan and execution were flawless.
All Holloway could do was survive, and he somehow managed to do so
for five rounds.
Meanwhile, Fighting Nerds linchpin Caio
Borralho rode superior speed and athleticism to a unanimous
decision over former two-division ONE Championship titleholder
Reinier
de Ridder in their three-round middleweight co-headliner.
Borralho (18-2, 8-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with matching 30-27
marks from the assigned judiciary.
De Ridder (21-4, 4-2 UFC) put up serious resistance—his awkward
power punches troubled the Brazilian in spurts—but failed to
sustain meaningful offense. Borralho battered his legs with kicks,
connected with thudding left hands over the top and surprised the
Dutch grappler with a takedown in the third round. He briefly
climbed to full mount, then transitioned to side control before the
two men returned to their feet. There, Borralho once again zeroed
in on his counterpart’s lower extremities with kicks.
The 33-year-old Borralho has won 15 of his last 16 fights.
Further down the main card, MMA Lab standout Raul Rosas
Jr. passed his most significant test to date with a unanimous
decision over ex-CES MMA champion Rob Font in
their three-round bantamweight showcase. All three cageside judges
turned in 30-27 scorecards for Rosas Jr. (12-1, 6-1 UFC).
Font (22-10, 12-9 UFC) could not stay upright. Rosas Jr. executed
repeated takedowns, paired them with positional advances and racked
up copious amounts of control time. He failed to exact much damage
but kept himself out of harm’s way against the Massachusetts
native. Font’s frustrations grew over time. Rosas Jr. never strayed
from his approach and at times seemed to be on autopilot against
one of the bantamweight division’s most respected veterans.
Rosas Jr., 21, has recorded five straight victories.
Elsewhere, Elevation Fight Team mainstay Drew Dober
swept aside “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 finalist Michael
Johnson with punches in the second round of their lightweight
feature.
Dober (29-15, 15-11 UFC) drew the curtain 1:53 into Round
2.
Johnson (24-20, 16-16 UFC) led the dance with a persistent jab,
sharp low kicks and lightning-fast one-twos across the first five
minutes. Dober made adjustments between rounds, upped his output
and blasted the Kill Cliff Fight Club product with a vicious
straight left. Johnson collapsed backward semi-conscious and
supine, then ate one another standing-to-ground left from the
Omaha, Nebraska, native before referee Kerry Hatley could arrive to
rescue him.
The loss was Johnson’s first since May 20, 2023 and brought an end
to his three-fight winning streak.
Finally, former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Gregory
Rodrigues punched out Brunno
Ferreira in the first round of their middleweight rematch and
evened his head-to-head series with his Brazilian compatriot. A
replacement for Paulo
Costa, Rodrigues (19-6, 10-3 UFC) closed it out 1:47 into Round
1.
Ferreira (15-3, 6-3 UFC)—who knocked out “Robocop” in their first
meeting a little more than three years ago—stepped forward behind a
few right hands and a leg kick.
Rodrigues met him in the pocket and unleashed a hellacious right
hook that stopped the Brazilian TKO rep in his tracks. No follow-up
shots were necessary.
Rodrigues, 34, has won three fights in a row.
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UFC 326 Prelims: Rodolfo Bellato, Alberto Montes Score Finishes on
Decision-Heavy Undercard