Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway are set to rematch for the BMF belt in 2026, but not as early as January, with Oliveira indicating a possible timeframe around March or April.
Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway are gearing up for a rematch for the BMF belt in 2026. But don’t hold your breath for January—despite what a deleted post from UFC Brasil’s X account suggested.
The former lightweight champ, Oliveira, mentioned he’s chatting with the UFC. No set date yet, but he’s got some months in mind.
“Look, nothing’s confirmed for January,” Oliveira clarified on Instagram. “I’m on vacation, and that post stirred things up. But it’s not happening in January. We both want this fight, and so do you.”
Oliveira has been pushing for this rematch since losing a vacant title to Ilia Topuria. His submission win over Mateusz Gamrot in Rio only fueled his campaign.
Meanwhile, Holloway hasn’t stepped into the octagon since defending his BMF title against Dustin Poirier in July. He bounced back after a featherweight loss to Topuria in late 2024.
“We’re just waiting on the contract,” Oliveira said, hinting at a possible March or April date. “That post means something’s brewing. Not now, but soon.”
These two first clashed in August 2015. The fight ended abruptly in 99 seconds due to Oliveira’s neck injury. Holloway went on to become a champ a year later, while Oliveira waited nearly six years for his gold moment.