Max Holloway has set his sights on Ilya Topuria once more, and this time he’ll put all of it on the road. The BMF champion is seeking to tackle Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 and head straight for a rematch with Topuria for each the BMF strap and the undisputed light-weight title.
Max Holloway eyes Ilya Topria rematch after conflict with Charles Oliveira at UFC 326
In an interview with TNT Sports activities, Holloway laid out a super situation, mentioning their first assembly and the stakes he would really like for the subsequent time. “In an ideal world, we might go on the market, we might put our arms up, we might do it very fashionably, we might make it plain, we might make the second, and we might go get Ilia, who has the BMF title and the undisputed title on the road,” Holloway mentioned. He added that Topria was “speaking about his final battle at 145, however the title wasn’t on the road,” including, “Do not be mad at me. Be mad on the UFC. They would not let it occur.”
Contemplating how the primary battle ended, Holloway’s frustration is straightforward to know. Topuria stopped him in the primary occasion of UFC 308 on October 26, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, defending his featherweight title with a third-round knockout, handing Holloway his first profession knockout loss. Holloway was harm by a proper hand, dropped by a left hook, and compelled to cease with follow-up floor and pound.
He received the BMF belt with a walk-off proper hand knockout of Justin Gaethje within the closing seconds of their bout at UFC 300, a end that immediately grew to become one of many card’s defining moments. He then moved to light-weight full time and have become the primary BMF champion to efficiently defend his title by outpointing Dustin Poirier in three consecutive fights at UFC 318. The UFC has now booked Holloway to defend his BMF title in opposition to former light-weight champion Charles Oliveira in a rematch at UFC 326 on March 7, 2026 at T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas.
Topria’s place modified dramatically as properly. After successful the featherweight belt by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298, he defended Holloway at UFC 308 and stepped up at UFC 317, knocking out Oliveira within the first spherical to win the vacant light-weight title and change into a two-division champion. Alongside the way in which, he repeatedly talked about his struggles to make 145 kilos and recommended his featherweight run was coming to an finish, which frames Holloway’s “final 145 kilos” and statements that the belt just isn’t in jeopardy.
Mild panorama is crowded. The interim title battle between Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 will present Topuria with a must-see challenger. Topria has expressed curiosity in dealing with the winner, however Holloway is attempting to pressure his means into the dialog by linking BMF’s reign to an undisputed gold medal win.
For Holloway, the equation is easy. He defeated Oliveira once more at UFC 326, retaining the BMF belt, leaving the UFC with a profitable storyline, revenge on the one man who stopped him, and two titles on the road.
