Charles Oliveira did more than just win the “BMF” belt at UFC 326.
Heading into Saturday’s event, it wasn’t exactly clear what the stakes were for Oliveira’s long-awaited rematch with Max Holloway. For the most part, it was just exciting to see two of the all-time greats squaring off and with some sneaky contender implications as well. In the big picture, it didn’t feel like the matchup meant much for either man’s legacies—they’re both UFC Hall of Fame locks—but the way it actually played out might
have shifted public opinion more than we think.
First, let’s get the immediate consequences out of the way. In the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings, Oliveira soars to the edge of the top 10, jumping eight spots to No. 11 (tied with Jack Della Maddalena), while Holloway threatens to drop off the list entirely, falling four spots to No. 16. One could argue that Holloway shouldn’t have been dinged so much for competing in a higher weight class, but this is his third straight fight at 155 pounds. He’s a proper lightweight and should be treated as such.
Second, we have to ask: Does this put Charles Oliveira ahead of Max Holloway on the all-time list?
Prior to UFC 326, I’m assuming most fans had Holloway ahead of Oliveira in the GOAT conversation, considering Oliveira has a handful of forgettable losses (Ricardo Lamas?!?) on his record and Holloway’s’ multiple title defenses at 145 pounds. He also technically beat Oliveira the first time, though the injury-ending to that encounter essentially made it a write-off.
Now, Oliveira has a clear head-to-head win over Holloway, and while that shouldn’t be a leading factor when determining all-time rankings, it deserves some consideration. Oliveira’s lightweight run has included several career-defining moments, and beating Holloway might be the most impressive of them all.
Check out the post-UFC 326 Men’s Pound-for-Pound Rankings and let us know your thoughts on the Oliveira vs. Holloway all-time ranking debate in the poll and comments below.
MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 19 Charles Oliveira def. No. 12 Max Holloway
Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 2 Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje (UFC White House, June 14), No. 3 Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane (UFC White House, June 14), No. 11 (tied) Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates (UFC Perth, May 2), No. 15 Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira (UFC 327, April 11), No. 17 Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulbert (UFC 327, April 11), No. 19 Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy (UFC London, March 21)
Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Justin Gaethje (2), Usman Nurmagomedov (2), Sean O’Malley (2), Belal Muhammad (1), Aljamain Sterling (1)
A refresher on the ground rules:
- The five-person voting panel consists of MMA Fighting staffers Alexander K. Lee, Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, Damon Martin, and Jed Meshew.
- Fighters will be removed from the rankings if they do not compete within 18 months of their most recent bout in a given weight class. Updates to the rankings are typically completed following each month’s UFC pay-per-view.
- Should a fighter announce their retirement, our panel will decide whether that fighter should immediately be removed from the rankings or maintain their position until further notice. (Let’s put it this way: We’d have taken Khabib Nurmagomedov out of our rankings a lot quicker than the UFC did.)
- Holding a promotion’s title does not guarantee that fighter will be viewed as the best in their promotion. Additionally, fighters who regularly compete or hold titles in multiple weight classes are eligible to be ranked in multiple lists.
Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.
