Max Holloway has never needed mystery to win fights. Volume, pinpoint accuracy, durability, and an engine that doesn’t quit have always been his calling cards. But ahead of UFC 326, as he prepares to face Charles Oliveira for the BMF title, Holloway is leaning into something different.

The striking thing isn’t just how sharp he looks in training clips. It’s how intentional everything feels. At age 34, with 35 professional fights on his résumé and more five-round experience than most of the lightweight division combined, Holloway understands something younger versions of himself didn’t fully grasp. That’s where the ‘secret weapon’ comes in!

In a recent training video shared online, ‘Blessed’ spoke about his current camp and put it plainly, “Right now in camp I feel great man. There’s so much science. I have Transparent Labs now. Keeping my body in top shape, taking the right supplements, and sleeping well. I do a bunch of other recovery stuff.”

But it’s not about shortcuts. It’s about understanding limits before you cross them, as he added, “This is the best I felt, know, when I was younger, I felt like this, but no recovery. So, a little bit older. Gotta be smart. Take care of your body a little bit more.”

That’s the key shift. Early-career Holloway fought often and relied on youth to bounce back. This version tracks everything. His longtime strength and conditioning coach, Darin Yap, explained in the video that the BMF king records his heart rate, monitors his weight closely, and keeps tabs on nutrition and workload.

After more than ten years as a professional, Max Holloway knows when to push and when to pull back, and Yap largely lets him steer that process based on how he feels, and it shows.

In the recent footage, Holloway is moving comfortably under heavy squats, sitting solidly into his lightweight frame. He doesn’t look like a featherweight trying to borrow size; he looks like someone who’s adapted. That matters against Charles Oliveira, who has punished plenty of opponents who underestimated the physical demands of 155.

The Hawaiian has already talked openly about history, about defending the BMF belt again, and about moving one step closer to undisputed lightweight gold. Beating ‘Do Bronxs’ checks all of those boxes at once, and the Brazilian has confirmed he won’t be taking a step back if ‘Blessed’ tries to pull off his signature move inside the Octagon!

Charles Oliveira is ready to compare his “firepower” against Max Holloway’s signature move

Charles Oliveira has made it clear he’s not intimidated by the optics of standing in the middle and trading, even with the memory of Justin Gaethje still fresh. Everyone remembers UFC 300. Holloway, pointing to the center, Gaethje accepting, and one flurry later, the BMF belt changed hands in dramatic fashion. That moment has become part of Holloway’s mythology.

“I’ll be very honest, a lot of people thought it was trash talk or a joke, but it wasn’t,” Oliveira said in a recent interview with MMA Junkie, as in his view, being a complete fighter means choosing danger when it presents itself.

Oliveira has been knocked down before. He’s also gotten back up and finished elite opponents in ways few fighters ever have. His submission record speaks for itself, but this version of ‘Do Bronxs’ wants respect on the feet too.

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The Brazilian’s message was simple and confident: he sees himself as a complete fighter, comfortable wherever the fight goes. He said he’s happy to trade if that’s the moment, just as ready to take it to the ground if needed, but he trusts his boxing and Muay Thai from the opening bell.

And if Max Holloway points to the canvas? According to Oliveira, “If he calls me forward, I’ll stand right in front of him. Let’s see who has more firepower. I’m ready.”

So, the BMF champion is showing up armed with data, discipline, and a body finally treated like the long-term investment it is. Meanwhile, Charles Oliveira is arriving with confidence, versatility, and zero fear of chaos. When the cage door closes at UFC 326, the question won’t just be who hits harder or who lasts longer. It’ll be this: does modern precision outlast raw grit and determination, or does chaos still bend the numbers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!