The UFC 326 fight between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. That includes UFC CEO Dana White! Although a title like BMF and the history between Holloway and Oliveira promised balls-to-the-wall action, it turned out to be a grappling affair. High-level wrestling fans may have loved it, but others were quick to complain. White, particularly, wasn’t a fan, suggesting he expected more. But his employee, color commentator Joe Rogan, doesn’t agree. 

“Look, he didn’t like… this Max Holloway-Charles Oliveira fight,” Rogan told Dustin Poirier on JRE MMA Show #176. “He didn’t like it. Like the BMF fight… wasn’t that good. I was like, I thought it was a great fight.

Even Poirier, who has fought both, chimed in, claiming he was an instant fan of the bout.

“It was impressive if you were a fan of technique and a fan of how hard it is to do that to somebody like Max,” Poirier said. “Like, super impressive. 

Joe Rogan further defended the fight, highlighting how good the performance was from Charles Oliveira. 

“And I was a fan of Max’s defense,” he added during the podcast. “I mean, Oliveira was on his back in the first round. A lot of people would have finished there… I mean, I think Oliveira is one of the greatest submission artists that ever competed in the sport, if not the best.”

Notably, ‘The Diamond’ faced Charles Oliveira once in December 2021, losing the fight via submission. And he fought Holloway thrice, winning the first two, but losing the trilogy bout. And it’s not just Joe Rogan and Dustin Poirier who were impressed by ‘Do Bronx’s performance. Arman Tsarukyan, who defeated the Brazilian in a close fight at UFC 300, was surprised.

He felt Oliveira did “well” and was expecting him to win, but the dominance the Brazilian showcased against Max Holloway left him shocked. At the same time, however, the No. 2-ranked lightweight claimed he understood the backlash from fans, who called the fight boring. He revealed that he was sitting in the front row for the fight and was “bored.”

Arman Tsarukyan pointed to a lack of ground-and-pound and overall striking from Charles Oliveira as a reason the fight fell short on excitement. Interestingly, when the Brazilian faced Holloway back in August 2015, the fight ended in the first round via a scary knockout. Regardless, Tsarukyan is far from the only one who shares that view.

Mauricio Ruffy doesn’t agree with Joe Rogan, but was forced to concede

Mauricio Ruffy wasn’t a big fan of the fight between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira. Ruffy questioned Oliveira’s grappling-heavy approach. 

“Because of the title… I expected them to embrace that characteristic… to stand and trade,” he said. “If you go in there just to clinch and hold someone… You end up losing opportunities.” 

Vitoria Brum, Oliveira’s wife, fired back on social media. 

“Then let’s schedule a boxing match because if you want a fight, in the damn MMA, so there’s going to be jiu-jitsu… Don’t try to ride my husband’s wave.”

Following the backlash, Ruffy clarified his stance, admitting he “expressed myself poorly” and emphasized his respect for Oliveira.

“It’s no secret how much of a fan I am of Charles, how much I don’t want to fight Charles at all,” Ruffy said. “Unless it’s something that absolutely has to happen, but I’d dodge it in every possible way because I don’t want that fight.”

That being said, it appears people have varying opinions of the Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira BMF title fight. Some loved it, others, not so much. But what did you think about it? Do you agree with Joe Rogan?