LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: (R-L) Charles Oliveira of Brazil strikes Max Holloway in the BMF Championship fight during the UFC 326 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 07, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

UFC 326’s BMF Title between Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway was one of the most anticipated fights on the UFC schedule. Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira are two legends of the sport, former champions and future Hall of Famers. Two of the toughest and most beloved fighters the sport of MMA has ever seen, going head-to-head, promised to deliver fireworks. The hype around the fight was astronomical, which made it all the more shocking that it was met with boos from the crowd and strong criticism from MMA media and fellow fighters. Is the criticism deserved?

Why the BMF Belt is Relevant

Perhaps the harshest critic of the BMF title is award-winning MMA journalist Ariel Helwani. He shared his thoughts on the title following UFC 326 on the Uncrowned Channel and X.

“I’ve been very vocal and very transparent about how I feel about the BMF title. It’s a JV title. It’s a fictitious belt. It’s a toy belt. I mean no disrespect, but how is this a thing when Ilia Topuria knocked out both of these guys? If this were a normal five round fight, we would be discussing how dominant Charles was. But under the mirage of this title, there are these weird expectations. It’s time to get rid of the thing.” stated Helwani.

Ariel Helwani is right about one thing. The BMF belt is a JV title. Nonetheless, it is still prestigious. Only a select few fighters have had the opportunity to fight for. The six fighters who have competed for this belt are among MMA’s biggest legends, beloved by fans and the UFC. The main purpose of the BMF belt is to reward a fighter with a legacy belt for delivering fun, exciting fights throughout a career. The BMF belt’s secondary purpose is to allow the UFC flexibility to headline a PPV featuring two beloved fighters, in an era where UFC champions have been criticized for being “boring” by the fans and media, the BMF title is far from a bad thing. Helwani is an intelligent man, but he, like many others, does not understand what the BMF belt is. The BMF title is separate from an undisputed champion; only a select few of MMA legends are worthy of fighting for the belt. Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira are all MMA superstars who are massive draws for the UFC. At the time each fighter fought for the belt, they were out of their division’s title picture. The BMF belt allowed these fighters to receive title pay and headline UFC PPV events while also rewarding them with a legacy belt for being the biggest BMFs in a sport full of them. The BMF belt has also created a strong history of producing legendary fights. It’s a brief history of Masvidal and Diaz, Poirier vs. Gaethje 2, Holloway vs. Gaethje, and Holloway vs. Poirier. Holloway vs Oliveira 2 was expected to deliver the same legendary back-and-forth brawl. Which begs the question: Should expectations for a BMF fight be different?

Charles Oliveira Deserves to be the BMF Champion

UFC 326’s BMF Title between Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway was one of the most anticipated fights on the UFC schedule. Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira are two legends of the sport, former champions and future Hall of Famers. Two of the toughest and most beloved fighters the sport of MMA has ever seen, going head-to-head, promised to deliver fireworks. The hype around the fight was astronomical, which made it all the more shocking that it was met with boos from the crowd and strong criticism from MMA media and fellow fighters. 

The BMF belt has produced some exciting fights, but Holloway vs Oliveira did not deliver the same level of action, and people are throwing a tantrum because they didn’t get what they wanted. Many have criticized Charles Oliveira’s performance at UFC 326 because of his grappling-heavy approach, deeming it unworthy of a BMF title. In reality, there is one reason this fight was not as entertaining as expected. Max Holloway is not on the same level as Charles Oliveira. Heading into this fight, every fighter, fan, and analyst believed Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira were two fighters of a similar caliber. The truth is, Charles Oliveira is a much complete and more well-rounded Mixed Martial Artist than Max Holloway. For twenty-five minutes, Oliveira completely outclassed and dominated Max Holloway. Charles Oliveira had a whopping 20:49 of control time on the ground. That time amounts to over four rounds of ground control. On the feet, Charles Oliveira was also dominant, nearly landing double the amount of significant strikes as Holloway, with a 50-26 advantage. It was actually shocking how noncompetitive this fight was. 

I understand grappling isn’t the most exciting part of MMA to watch. I understand it’s not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the BMF title, considering its lineage of Masvidal, Gaethje, and Holloway. Nonetheless, the BMF title cannot simply be defined by strikers. You know what illustrates a BMF? Shutting down, the UFC’s all-time significant strikes leader offense and limiting him to 26 strikes, the fewest Holloway has had in a five-round fight in his UFC career. Another thing that demonstrates Oliveria’s performance as BMF-worthy is that he controlled and dominated a future Hall of Famer in a way no one else ever has.

Why is the BMF belt relevant? Because it honors and celebrates fighters like Charles Oliveira. Why is Charles Oliveira worthy of the BMF title? Few fighters have been tested throughout their career the way Charles Oliveira has. Severe childhood illness, doubts, devastating defeats, and the odds always stacked against him never broke Oliveira. It forged him. From spectacular comeback wins to highlight reel finishes against the best in the world, Oliveira has consistently overcome adversity. The BMF title represents the fighter who embraces chaos and refuses to back down. If that’s the standard, then Charles Oliveira embodies the meaning of BMF.