UFC 326 takeaways: Charles Oliveira took Max Holloway's BMF belt, but maybe not the vibe that went with it
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The BMF title changed hands and the UFC’s White House event took shape, all in one night. So what were the most important takeaways from UFC 326 in Las Vegas? We’re so glad you asked:
1. No matter how B of a MF you think you are, Charles Oliveira’s stuff can still shut you down. Max Holloway found that out the hard way on Saturday night. The look on his face as he got taken down and mauled round after round suggested that maybe he knew this was one way it could go, but definitely not how he thought it would go.
Which is to say, he seemed to be expecting a totally different kind of fight. As in, perhaps, the kind more befitting the vibe that this particular title claims to represent? It feels unfair to criticize Oliveira’s game plan when it was clearly so effective. But then again, this was for the BMF belt. And, rightly or wrongly, people expect those fights to be more of the stand-and-bang variety. Oliveira dominated Holloway on the mat, and he made it look easy. Maybe he made it seem too easy, which drained some of the frantic urgency right out of the whole thing by the end.
Still, a win is a win, right? And nobody doubts that Oliveira won that fight. It’s just a question of whether they feel he truly won the spirit of that belt to go along with the physical hardware. The thing about these titles that are more about an idea than a ranking is that sometimes you can lose even while winning.
2. Where does Holloway go from here? He was a great featherweight champ in his prime, but that prime is now past. He added an injection of genuine legitimacy to the whole BMF project, but then Oliveira pried that belt right off him. Now he’s got losses in two of his last three, with a name that’s much too big for the typical undercard journeyman stuff.
This is usually when the UFC starts trying to use a revered member of the older generation as a springboard for a younger one. But the last time it tried that with Holloway he styled on a series of contenders and ended up right back in another title fight he couldn’t win. Clearly, Holloway is one of this sport’s all-time greats. But he’s in a tricky spot now, being somehow 16 years into his pro career but still only 34 years old. There are fun fights out there for him still. But he needs the right dance partner to get the most out of what time he has left.
3. All that build-up about the UFC White House event didn’t do this fight card any favors. Sadly, UFC 326 was overshadowed by rumors of announcements to come, plus a week’s worth of heavyweight drama to further muddy the waters. As the undercard bumped along, it felt like we were all holding our breath and waiting for the big announcement. Then the announcement came and the bombshell turned out to be more of a firecracker. And, oh yeah, there were still some more fights to get through.
4. I can’t tell if Caio Borralho made Reinier de Ridder look bad or if de Ridder made Borralho look good. I’m still not at all sure what to make of either man. Borralho is capable of some great stuff in short bursts. RDR has looked awkward in both victory and defeat. Here it seemed like Borralho’s night almost immediately, but he was still very content with settling for a decision over a guy who seemed on the verge of stumbling into a knockout punch at any moment.
The big question with any potential middleweight contender right now is, how would he fare against the meatgrinder that is Khamzat Chimaev? Stylistically, it seems like a bit of a nightmare match-up for Borralho. The good news is, his climb up the ladder still has a few more rungs to go. Maybe by the time he gets up there, someone new will be waiting.
5. What’s going on with Michael Johnson? He opened as a betting favorite against Drew Dober, then closed as an underdog. That’s after his last scheduled fight got called off at the last minute following concerns about suspicious movement in the betting odds. This time the fight went ahead, despite some sportsbooks reportedly removing it from the board, and sure enough Johnson gets knocked out in the second.
That could very well be smoke with no fire, but it’s not a great look for Johnson. You’d think someone would have to answer some questions about it soon, perhaps even the under-oath variety. The last thing the UFC needs is another betting scandal, especially when the others still seem vaguely unresolved.
