UFC Brazil Accidentally Posts Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira BMF Title Fight, Then Deletes It
The MMA rumor mill got a jolt on Saturday when the official UFC Brazil social media account posted an announcement about a BMF championship fight between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira scheduled for UFC 324 on January 24 in Las Vegas. Within minutes, the post disappeared. The brief window was enough for the MMA community to catch screenshots and begin spreading the news across platforms.
Social Media Slip-Up Reveals Potential Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira BMF Matchup for UFC 324
UFC 324 marks the debut of the UFC’s exclusive partnership with Paramount+, and the card already features heavyweight championship matchups with Justin Gaethje facing Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title and Kayla Harrison defending her women’s bantamweight title against returning Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes. Adding a BMF championship bout to this January event would certainly elevate the card’s profile even further, though at this stage the Holloway-Oliveira pairing remains speculation.
Their first meeting took place in August 2015 at UFC Fight Night 74 in Saskatoon, Canada, where Holloway won by first-round TKO. However, the fight’s conclusion was anything but conventional. Oliveira suffered a micro-tear to his esophagus while attempting a takedown just 99 seconds into the bout, an injury that caused temporary paralysis on his left side for approximately four hours. Oliveira later told Brazilian media outlets that he was terrified the damage would leave him permanently disabled. The nature and severity of that injury became a point of contention years later, with Holloway expressing skepticism about the official medical reports during a UFC interview in July 2025.
The fighters have stayed on each other’s radar over the years, particularly after their respective rises to championship status. Holloway won the BMF title by knocking out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April 2024, then made his first BMF title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 in July 2025, winning by unanimous decision in Poirier’s retirement bout. Holloway sustained a hand injury during that Poirier fight that sidelined him for the remainder of 2025, with doctors initially suggesting he might not compete again until 2026.
After a run as UFC lightweight champion from 2021 to 2023, he stepped up to compete for the vacant lightweight title in June 2025 but was knocked out in the first round by Ilia Topuria at UFC 322. Looking to rebound, Oliveira submitted Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Fight Night in Rio de Janeiro in early October 2025. During his post-fight interview, Oliveira called out Holloway for a BMF title fight, telling UFC officials he wanted this specific matchup before potentially retiring from competition. Holloway, speaking at UFC 318, responded favorably when asked about facing Oliveira, suggesting the fight could happen for the BMF belt.
According to The Starched, a source cited in community discussions, reporters covering the sport had been discussing the potential Holloway-Oliveira BMF matchup for weeks before the UFC Brazil social media slip-up. The outlet reported that the fight was likely being moved from UFC 324 in January to UFC 326 in March, though no official announcement regarding UFC 326’s fight card or location has been confirmed by the promotion. Holloway had previously indicated that March was a viable return timeframe given his recovery from the hand injury sustained at UFC 318.
Both fighters have genuine interest in making the matchup happen. Holloway views it as a way to defend his BMF title against a credible lightweight contender, while Oliveira sees it as an opportunity for a significant victory that could either propel him back toward championship contention or serve as a meaningful final fight in his career.
