Holloway responds to Oliveira’s fiery challenge

Charles Oliveira made a triumphant comeback. After suffering a brutal first-round knockout – just two minutes and 27 seconds in – at the hands of Ilia Topuria in their lightweight title fight, the Brazilian returned less than four months later, and did so in style. Fighting in front of his home crowd at last weekend’s UFC Rio de Janeiro, he submitted Mateusz Gamrot in the second round and immediately called out Max Holloway for the BMF belt – a challenge the champion has now accepted.

“I didn’t see Charles’s fight. I just saw the clip where he called me out. There’s only one way to respond to that – with another video. Let’s go!” Holloway said on Kick, later sharing a GIF on social media captioned “another one.” Holloway currently holds the symbolic BMF (Baddest Mother F*er)** belt – a title that allows big-name fighters to square off even outside divisional championship bouts. “Why wouldn’t I be interested? We’ve got history. He said an injury was the reason last time, so I guess we’ll settle that now.”

The fight would be a true rematch. Oliveira and Holloway first met in August 2015, when the Hawaiian stopped him in the opening round. When asked whether he’d return to Brazil for the bout, Holloway flatly refused. “Hell no, I’m not going to Rio. We’ll fight in Las Vegas or something. We’ll do it on my terms, brother,” he said.

It wouldn’t be the first time Holloway has fought in Rio, though. Back in June 2017, he knocked out José Aldo in the third round to take the featherweight title from the “King of Rio.” “We went to Rio and took out the King of Rio. Now it’s my turn to call the shots. When you beat the King of Rio in his own house, you take his kingdom, right? Maybe you’re looking at the new King of Rio. Check the receipts,” he said at the time. Six months later, he knocked Aldo out again.

Holloway’s last fight came in June, when he defeated Dustin Poirier by unanimous decision in the final chapter of their trilogy – a result that also marked Poirier’s retirement from MMA. After recovering from a few injuries, Holloway says he’s almost ready to return. “We’re really close to fighting in March. Very close, but yeah – very possible,” he confirmed.

It’s shaping up to be one of those fights every fan wants to see.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.