Charles Oliveira needs Max Holloway subsequent, and the reigning “BMF” champion isn’t within the enterprise of turning down fights.
Following his dominant submission win over Mateusz Gamrot within the UFC Rio major occasion, Oliveira known as for a combat towards Holloway with hopes that he may add the BMF championship to his resume. Holloway initially answered again with a meme saying “one other one” — seemingly including Oliveira’s identify to the lengthy checklist of callouts he’s acquired — however he finally addressed “do Bronx” throughout a dwell stream on Kick.
“Charles efficiency? I didn’t watch it,” Holloway mentioned. “I simply received the clip of him calling me out. The one approach to announce that’s one other one. Let’s go.”
“No, I’m not f*cking going to Rio. Struggle in Las Vegas or one thing. We combat on my phrases. We combat on my phrases, brother. We went to Rio, we did that with the ‘King of Rio.’ Now it’s my flip to have a say.”
The “King of Rio” refers to Holloway touring to Brazil the place he defeated Jose Aldo to change into featherweight champion again in 2017. Holloway finally beat Aldo a second straight time once they met in a rematch six months later.
“Whenever you combat the King of Rio in some place, you are taking his village, proper?” Holloway mentioned. “You guys may be wanting on the King of Rio. Simply saying. Examine the receipts.”
Holloway additionally addressed his timeline to return to motion whereas therapeutic up from some nagging accidents after a victory over Dustin Poirier in July.
“We’re fairly near combating in March,” Holloway mentioned. “It’s very doable. Fairly shut however very doable for positive.”
For his half, Oliveira has no downside assembly Holloway’s request to take the combat someplace apart from Brazil, and he’s additionally very happy with the timing. The combat would really be a rematch after Holloway defeated Oliveira in 2015 when the Brazilian suffered an odd damage that left him unable to proceed lower than two minutes into the opening spherical.
“His phrases are the identical because the UFC,” Oliveira mentioned on the UFC Rio post-fight press convention. “It may be in his home. If it’s not in Brazil, it may be wherever on the planet. [March] is ideal, it’s an ideal combat. It might be superior to see Hawaii.”
Whereas Oliveira doesn’t appear to have an issue touring to Hawaii for a combat, Holloway sadly knocked down that concept after getting bombarded with questions on lastly having a UFC card in his residence state.
“Hawaii ain’t by no means going to have a combat,” Holloway mentioned. “You bought to recover from that. Possibilities of Hawaii having a combat with me on it’s f*cking zero, boys. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry however it’s what it’s. That’s simply the sincere fact.
“We don’t have a stadium to carry it and even when there may be [going to be one], they’ve to begin constructing now, which goes to take years, a few years and that’s not counting in the event that they run into issues. So we’re cooked.”
It stays to be seen if Oliveira finally ends up as Holloway’s subsequent opponent however he’s not against the matchup.
Greater than something, Holloway is anxious to get busy once more with just one combat in 2025, which is another excuse why he’s not keen about doubtlessly taking a slot on the extremely anticipated UFC White Home card deliberate for June 14, 2026.
“The White Home card is simply so far-off,” Holloway mentioned. “It’s like a yr, boys. I don’t know if I wish to wait that lengthy however we’ll see what occurs.
“By no means say by no means. It’s so far-off. If we take that combat, it’s nearly going to be a yr I’m out of competitors. If the combat occurs on the White Home card.”
