“Hey Hunter, Charles Oliveira versus Max Holloway, BMF. Let’s make that happen,” said Charles Oliveira after submitting Mateusz Gamrot in the second round at UFC Rio, calling out old rival Max Holloway for a future super clash. In a decade-old rivalry, ‘Blessed’ earned a TKO win after the newly nicknamed ‘Predador’ suffered a neck injury at UFC Fight Night 74  on August 23, 2015. So, there’s definitely some unfinished business. Recognizing that history, Holloway didn’t wait long to accept it.

“That’s the fight I want. That’s a fight a lot of people want to see,” said the current BMF and former featherweight champ on Uncrowned, implying that Charles Oliveira deserves to fight for the symbolic belt since they share history. He also believes Oliveira is one of the few fighters with the accolades to compete for that title. However, as the long-awaited rematch begins to take shape, another surging contender, Beneil Dariush, has chimed in, making it clear he’s ready to face the Brazilian in another potential rematch. 

Max Holloway on alert as Beneil Dariush eyes potential Charles Oliveira rematch 

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Dariush said, “I was hoping to get somebody like Dan Hooker. I was hoping to get basically somebody ranked ahead of me. I even asked for Max Holloway, knowing I doubt it’s gonna happen. But you know, there was really no availability. Obviously, I found out Arman is fighting Dan Hooker, and then Gamrot was an option, and then he ended up fighting Charles. Then I’ve already fought Gamrot, I would like to fight somebody different. So here we are.”   

After dropping two straight fights, ‘Benny’ made a strong comeback by defeating former title challenger Renato Moicano at UFC 317. Moicano, who’s currently ranked No. 11 in the lightweight division, gave Dariush a much-needed bounce back. Now, at UFC 322, the 36-year-old contender is set to face No. 13-ranked Benoît Saint Denis. It’s clearly a lower-ranked fight, meaning Dariush is taking a bit of a risk with his position in line. However, if he pulls off a win on November 15, he could very well be next to face Oliveira. But how?

Looking at the current scenario, the UFC would definitely want to book Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira for the BMF title in the future. But since ‘Blessed’ is dealing with a hand injury and might need recovery time, the promotion could turn to Dariush as a backup option. That matchup also carries history as Oliveira previously defeated Dariush at UFC 289 in just 4 minutes and 10 seconds of the first round. 

With that in mind, Holloway will need to stage an early comeback if he truly wants to face Oliveira, as the UFC is reportedly targeting the matchup for early next year on Paramount+. So, fans have been eagerly waiting for his return, hoping to see the highly anticipated rematch finally happen. That said, since ‘Blessed’ is likely to land that fight, he also took a moment to respond to another recent callout in the meantime.

‘Blessed’ responds to Steve Garcia’s UFC Vegas 110 call out  

At UFC Vegas 110, Steve Garcia shocked the entire MMA world by making quick work of David Onama in the main event. After that stunning victory, ‘Mean Machine’ wasted no time calling out Max Holloway for a BMF showdown. Riding a seven-fight win streak, Garcia told Daniel Cormier inside the Octagon, “I want the Rocky Balboa story. I want the one with Max Holloway, the BMF title, man. This kid is a southpaw. There’s nobody out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, calling his shot.”

Garcia’s callout was definitely bold, but many fans doubted whether a matchup with ‘Blessed’ would ever happen. For one, Holloway is at a stage in his career where he’s chasing legacy fights. And secondly, he’s no longer competing at featherweight, having moved up to lightweight. So, when the Hawaiian superstar got called out by the surging contender, he didn’t respond with words; instead, he posted a “50 Cent GIF” on X.

For those unversed, that GIF usually expresses confusion or disbelief, and Holloway’s reaction carried the same vibe. Realizing his callout might be a long shot, Garcia later redirected his focus to Josh Emmett, calling him out during the post-fight presser.

So, callouts are flying in from all directions for both Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira. With so many potential fights on the horizon, the big question remains: Could ‘Blessed’ end up facing ‘Predador’ next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.