Following a solid preliminary card at T-Mobile Arena, business picked up considerably when the action shifted to the main card at UFC 326.
Opening with a pair of blistering knockouts and followed by a set of key fights that went to the cards, everything culminated with the BMF title fight where Charles Oliveira dominated the action to claim the title.
If you missed anything, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered with full fight recaps below.
Results, Highlights & Backstage Interviews
Charles Oliveira defeated Max Holloway by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Charles Oliveira is your new BMF champion after authoring a grappling masterclass to wrestle the title away from Max Holloway in the UFC 326 main event.
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From the outset, Oliveira dominated with his grappling, taking Holloway down with relative ease and controlling him on the canvas. Though “Blessed” did well to defend and keep the Brazilian from getting any real purchase on a submission attempt through the early going, “Do Bronxs” was unrelenting, landing more strikes and continually working to superior positions, running away with the fight. In the final seconds, Oliveira gave Holloway his chance to swing, cracking him with a sharp right hand for good measure to close things out.
This was a one-sided affair the whole way through and a tremendous performance from Oliveira, who became the fourth BMF titleholder in UFC history and the first man to hold both the BMF title and undisputed lightweight title in his career. On a night when the next lightweight title fight was confirmed as the main event of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, it’ll be interesting to see what comes next for the beloved Brazilian standout.
Caio Borralho defeated Reinier de Ridder by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Caio Borralho and Reinier de Ridder faced off in the penultimate pairing of the night, engaging in a fascinating clash of styles between middleweight hopefuls looking to get things moving in the right direction again.
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In space in the first, Borralho was the one having success, fighting with his hands down and piecing up the Dutch competitor whenever they exchanged. But de Ridder was able to slow things down in stretches in the clinch, chipping away as he looked to drag the Fighting Nerds ace to the floor while occasionally mixing in some better shots of his own in space. It was a reversal of roles in the third, with de Ridder landing well on the feet, only for Borralho to land in top position when the two hit the canvas.
The fight went the distance, leaving the responsibility for determining the victor in the hands of the judges. When the scores were added up, it was Borralho that came out ahead, edging out de Ridder to get back into the win column and steady himself in the increasingly competitive middleweight division.
Raul Rosas Jr. defeated Rob Font by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bantamweight rising star Raul Rosas Jr. registered the biggest win of his young career, grinding out a unanimous decision win over Rob Font in the middle of Saturday’s main card.
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While Font tried to work behind his jab, as soon as Rosas Jr. shifted into his grappling, it was clear he had a distinct advantage in that phase, and he continued to lean on it heavily throughout the fight. The 21-year-old repeatedly put Font on the deck, piling up control time and working to chase submissions, though he was unable to find anything to truly latch onto.
When the scorecards were collected and totalled, it was a clean sweep of the scorecards for “El Nino Problema,” who advanced his winning streak to five, good for the second longest run in the division at present. He’ll likely be ranked come Monday, and took another positive step towards his goal of breaking Jon Jones’ record for being the youngest champion in UFC history.
Drew Dober defeated Michael Johnson by TKO (left hand) at 1:53 of Round 2
Drew Dober detonated a left hand on Michael Johnson midway through the second round to add to his record for the most knockouts in UFC lightweight division history.
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Johnson was the quicker of the two in the first round, landing the better shots as he and Dober stood and traded for the full five minutes. In the second, Dober was able to close the distance and pressure more, and as the two came together to exchange, a left hand ended the night in a flash.
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Just a brilliant finish for Dober and a second straight win for the perpetual all-action fighter. The Nebraska native moved to 15-11 with one no contest inside the Octagon and 28-15 with the one no contest overall following the thunderous victory on Saturday night.
Gregory Rodrigues defeated Brunno Ferreira by KO (right hand) at 1:47 of Round 1
Vengeance!
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Gregory Rodrigues needed one short right hand to earn a measure of revenge against Brunno Ferreira, dropping “The Hulk” in a flash to bring their personal series level at one win each. It was a one-hitter-quitter from the streaking Brazilian, who fell to Ferreira in similar fashion back at UFC 283.
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Just an outstanding finish and show of sportsmanship from Rodrigues, who recognized Ferreira was out and did not deliver any follow-up blows. That’s now three straight wins for “Robocop,” who continued looking like a gathering force in the middleweight division and should get another step up in competition after thus tremendous performance.
