The UFC’s original ‘BMF’ had no issue with how Charles Oliveira won the title.
Oliveira became the latest fighter to hold the symbolic belt after emerging victorious from the UFC 326 main event in early March.
At the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Oliveira defeated Max Holloway in their rematch, utilizing a control-heavy approach to earn a lopsided unanimous decision verdict.
But that triumph was not met with resounding praise for ‘Do Bronx’, as many were left frustrated with his strategy.
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Jorge Masvidal defends Charles Oliveira’s BMF-title winning performance against Max Holloway
Given what the BMF title stands for, plenty of people in the mixed martial arts community were expecting a much different fight when Oliveira and Holloway ran it back on March 7.
In fact, the bout was so disappointing that many fans are even pitching BMF rule changes. Things such as a stand-and-bang stipulation and the title only changing hands via stoppages have been proposed in the weeks since UFC 326.
When it comes to Oliveira’s performance, however, the inaugural BMF champ sees things differently.
“I think it’s still very BMF,” Masvidal said on The Bohnfire podcast with reporter Mike Bohn.
“Maybe people don’t like the style, but Charles was trying to end him the whole time. It wasn’t like he was a crotch sniffer, where he was getting to halfway situations and just holding on for dear life.
“He was never doing that,” Masvidal continued. “He was getting to good positions, either elbowing him or going for submissions. That’s not in any way a bad performance.
“People say that BMFs are supposed to just stand and strike. I see that point. But on Charles Oliveira’s part, Max had made him quit some years ago… To come back, full circle, and beat the guy that made you quit. That’s a BMF.
“Props to Charles, and I dumped the house on Max… Man, I lost a lot of money there.”
The UFC does prohibit athletes from betting on the promotion’s fights. While Masvidal retired in 2023, his contract is still active and he is targeting a comeback in 2026.
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Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
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2026-04-23 05:00:00
