Charles Oliveira Pushes Back Against Pressure to ‘Stand and Bang’ for BMF Title

 The Brazilian has recently responded to public criticism regarding his wrestling and grappling to defeat Max Holloway for the BMF title at UFC 326. Oliveira has doubled down on his approach and questioned why the BMF championship should dictate how he fights.

Charles Oliveira Responds to Public Criticism

Speaking to MMA Fighting, the 37-year-old addressed the criticism brewed up after the UFC 326 BMF title win.

“People might want to see two guys stand in front of each other, throw bombs, and beat each other up to see who can knock the other guy out. Sure, that could happen, and it would be cool. But I’m not here to please anyone. I’m here to go out there, fight, and win,” Oliveira said.

He argued that fighters will always face criticism no matter the approach they take, whether they trade punches or rely on grappling.  Dismissing the expectation that the BMF title requires fighters to trade heavy shots, he said, “That belt is not for me.”

The History Between Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway 

Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira first fought at UFC Fight Night 74 in August 2015. The bout ended after 99 seconds when Oliveira suffered an injury and could not continue, handing Holloway the victory. However, in a rematch at UFC 326 on March 7 in Las Vegas, Oliveira won the BMF title by unanimous decision. 

The former lightweight champion, speaking about his performance against Holloway, said,

“Anyone who watched the fight saw that I made Max look like nothing, both standing and on the ground. My best punches landed, my best kicks landed, and every takedown I went for, I got him down. My ground control was 100 percent."

The reigning BMF champ is set to defend his title against Diego Lopes in the UFC 335 main event on Dec. 12. When asked about his preparation, "Do Bronx" stated his desire to continuously enhance every aspect of his game.

“I’m a well-rounded fighter, both standing and on the ground. I’m going into the fight with Diego with absolutely no pressure,” he said.