Charles Oliveira returned to the Octagon at UFC Rio with all eyes on him, and he did not disappoint. ‘Do Bronx’ defeated Mateusz Gamrot in the second round by submission, putting an end to speculation about his retirement and reigniting his championship hopes. Fighting at home in front of a passionate Brazilian crowd, Oliveira proved why he is still one of the most electric lightweights in UFC history.

With a win in hand, Oliveira immediately called out Max Holloway for a possible BMF title fight. “Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, ‘BMF’—let’s make that happen,” he told UFC COO Hunter Campbell right after the fight. But before fans dream about a rematch, it’s worth revisiting their first duel, a fight that remains one of the most unusual moments of Oliveira’s career.

Who won Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira?

Their first contest at UFC Canada was supposed to be a showcase of elite striking vs. elite grappling, but it barely got started before disaster struck. Early in the first round, Charles Oliveira had a severe esophageal injury that paralyzed him on his left side for four hours, handing Max Holloway an easy win. “It was four hours without moving my left side. Everything went through my head. I was afraid of being crippled. I was devastated. I cried so much,” Oliveira told Combate.

What should have been a tactical battle against ‘Blessed’ devolved into a struggle for basic mobility. Despite the sudden and unpredictable nature of the loss, ‘Do Bronx’ refuses to consider it a true defeat. “I wouldn’t put that fight as a loss, because there was no fight. It wasn’t a punch or a kick from him that defined the fight. I hurt myself,” he said.

That approach exemplifies both his perseverance and resolve to rewrite the story in a rematch, transforming a devastating defeat into fuel for the future. Now that Charles Oliveira has set his sights on Holloway again, the focus turns from the injury to unfinished business.

The first fight is a sharp reminder of how delicate a fighter’s fortunes can be, as well as Oliveira’s resilience. But it is worth noting that while ‘Do Bronx’ considers his feud with Max Holloway as unfinished business due to the abrupt stoppage of their fight, ‘Blessed’ believes Oliveira faked his injury in their first encounter.

Max Holloway claims Oliveira faked his esophagus injury

Following Charles Oliveira’s last victory in Rio, the anticipation for a rematch with Max Holloway has intensified. However, not everyone agrees with Oliveira’s version of events from their initial encounter. About three months ago, ‘Blessed’ openly disputed the Brazilian’s claim that their 2015 fight ended due to significant esophageal damage. For Holloway, that stoppage is remembered differently: less as misfortune, more as a dubious excuse.

During a podcast appearance, Max Holloway did not mince words when he questioned Charles Oliveira’s injury narrative. “I heard he was yapping, saying our first fight was with injuries. He had an injury when we fought. But last time I checked, when they did a follow-up and wanted to find what the injury was, there was no injury report on it,” Holloway said.

His stance frames the first fight not as a freak accident but as a source of conflict, laying the groundwork for further tension if the rematch is scheduled. Charles Oliveira’s claim of a microtear in his esophagus, which occurred in the first few seconds of their fight, is now in the spotlight.

While the UFC confirmed that it was not a significant injury, Holloway’s skepticism, which he expressed months ago, adds to the drama around a potential second fight. What began as an abrupt, almost forgotten stoppage has blossomed into a narrative battleground, adding a layer of personal rivalry to what may be one of the most anticipated rematches in lightweight (formerly featherweight) history.