Charles Oliveira walked into UFC Rio with a mission: redemption. Coming off a brutal knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 317 just a few months prior, the former lightweight champion was under pressure to prove that his fire hadn’t burned out. And in front of a roaring Brazilian crowd, he did just that. With surgical precision and vintage aggression, ‘Do Bronx’ dismantled Mateusz Gamrot, finishing him with a rear-naked choke at 2:48 of Round 2.

The energy inside the Farmasi Arena was electric. ‘Do Bronx’ wept inside the Octagon as he brought his family into the cage, overwhelmed by the emotion of his comeback. “This is all for you guys,” he said, his voice breaking. “This is not about money, fame, status, or anything. Sc— it, this is Brazil!” And yet, once the emotion settled, he shifted his focus, not back to the lightweight belt, but toward something far more chaotic: the BMF title.

Max Holloway responds to Charles Oliveira’s call-out with a jab at his UFC Rio performance

Still riding the adrenaline, Oliveira turned his attention to the UFC brass sitting cage side as he proclaimed, “Hey Hunter [Campbell], Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, ‘BMF’ let’s make that happen.” The crowd exploded, and just like that, one of the wildest potential matchups of the year was born. After all, there’s history between the pair. The two faced off back in 2015 at UFC Fight Night 74 in Canada. The Brazilian lost that fight via TKO in the very first round due to what appeared to be an esophagus injury during a takedown attempt.

Max Holloway, watching the event on his Kick livestream, is never one to shy away from a challenge, and he didn’t need a paragraph to respond. Instead, he went straight to social media, posting a GIF of DJ Khaled on X saying, “Another one.” It was classic ‘Blessed.’ Simple, confident, and perfectly timed. However, during the livestream, he pointed to the past as he stated, “Me and him have a history. He is blaming it on some kind of injury. I guess we get to figure it out now.” And he even called his UFC Rio performance “mid”!

After all, he’s the reigning BMF titleholder following his jaw-dropping knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 and defended it against Dustin Poirier at UFC 318, where he returned to lightweight permanently. Holloway, at 33, has already conquered featherweight and is settling into the waters at lightweight. Charles Oliveira, at 35, remains one of the most dangerous submission artists in MMA history. Both are former champions who wear their scars like medals.

But what makes this potential matchup truly exciting is the contrast in styles. Holloway thrives in volume striking, an endless barrage of combinations and pace, to which he has now seemingly added more stopping power with his move up to 155 lbs. Charles Oliveira, on the other hand, drags opponents into chaos, where one mistake means disaster.

Right now, nothing’s official. The UFC hasn’t confirmed talks, and Dana White hasn’t weighed in yet. But if fan reactions and fighter enthusiasm mean anything, Oliveira vs. Holloway for the BMF belt might just be too good to ignore. Ahead of UFC Rio, there were also whispers of ‘Do Bronx’ hanging up the gloves, but he was quick to shut down those talks!

‘Do Bronx’ fired off on “retirement talk” as he now sets his sights on the BMF crown

Before he walked into the cage at UFC Rio, Charles Oliveira reminded everyone that retirement isn’t even on his radar. As he prepared for his 48th professional fight, a main event clash against Mateusz Gamrot in front of his home crowd, the former lightweight champion sounded more fired up than ever.

Speaking to MMA Junkie, he confessed, “Look, listen, the retirement talk is in your guys’ head, I’ve never said anything about retiring. Not a moment I’ve talked bout retirement, but in every interview I get asked. I don’t know if I’m fighting bad or if you guys want me to retire. I don’t know what’s happening. Every interview I give, people talk ‘retirement, retirement.’ At no point have I ever thought or contemplated about that, but all the questions are the same. I’m not thinking about it.”

And truth be told, the evidence backs him. With his 24 win inside the Octagon secured at Rio, he’s already laid the ghosts of the Ilia Topuria loss to rest. That’s not the record of a man slowing down. If anything, it’s proof he’s still dangerous. As such, Charles Oliveira’s message couldn’t be clearer: he’s not done, not fading, and certainly not retiring.

His dominant win at UFC Rio wasn’t just about redemption; it was a declaration of intent. By calling out Max Holloway, ‘Do Bronx’ didn’t just seek another fight; he reignited a rivalry a decade in the making. On the other side, Holloway’s cool, one-line response and composed attitude only added fuel to the fire. The past may have ended abruptly in 2015, but this time, there’s no injury to blame, just two legends, one belt, and a fight that fans can’t stop imagining!