Summary
Charles do Bronx celebrates at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC
Charles Oliveira has strong opinions about the criticism he received after his dominant performance against Max Holloway at UFC 326. The Brazilian became a target of fans, commentators, and even other fighters for prioritizing grappling throughout the five rounds against the Hawaiian, a strategy that, despite the negative opinions, earned him the BMF belt and proved his versatility inside the octagon.
In an interview with Olhar da Luta, 'Do Bronx' highlighted the level of the challenge and praised the dominance he imposed against an opponent known for his resilience. According to him, few have managed to control Holloway in this way, and his performance was complete both standing and on the ground, with a clear advantage in all aspects of the fight.
“I came here for a fight against a guy that nobody had dominated, that nobody had taken down. Every guy who took him down, he slammed his fists on the ground and got back up. And then, with all due respect, I took him down for nothing. The best punches, the best kicks, the best stand-up game, I put my hands on him. The ground game was impeccable. He was also a tough guy in that he defended well,” said Charles Do Bronx.
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The champion also emphasized that he did not face any real disadvantage during the fight. Even in specific situations, such as a poorly executed takedown in the last round, he quickly regained control and resumed dictating the pace, being responsible for the main offensive actions throughout the fight.
“I didn’t have any bad moments. He fell on top of me and I fell already sweeping, you know? And I was the one who called him to the middle, and I started connecting. My hands, it was my hands that landed. The only hand of his that landed, it caught my shoulder, which is what unbalanced me,” continued the BMF champion.
Charles from the Bronx dismisses criticism as envy.
Charles Oliveira seeks revenge ten years after controversial fight. Photo: UFC/Publicity
Regarding the criticism he received, Charles was direct in stating that he considers the negative assessment of his performance unfair. In the Brazilian's view, dominating an athlete of Holloway's caliber for five rounds should be widely recognized, including with more lopsided scores in his favor.
"Like, I got criticized for not exchanging blows. I got criticized for only going to the ground. I got criticized for it being a bad fight. I think that for fighters, for professionals, to say that it was a bad fight, I think that's envy. Because dominating a guy like Max Holloway for 5 rounds, I think all the rounds couldn't even be 10-9, they should have been 10-8 easily," pointed out do Bronx.
Finally, the fighter mocked the demands for a more aggressive striking style and questioned what is expected of him inside the octagon. For Charles, winning in a dominant fashion should be the main evaluation criterion, and in that sense, he reinforces that he fulfilled his objective by leaving as champion and owner of the BMF belt.
“To say that I didn’t exchange blows, I don’t know what they want. I think in the next fight, what’s the plan? What do you want me to do? Muay Thai, Judo, Kung Fu, surfing, whatever I have to do, I’ll do it to please you. Because if I go to fight and I win the fight and I’m not good, there’s no way I can do it. But the most important thing was, as I said, the BMF champion is Charles Oliveira, from Charles Do Bronx ,” concluded the ‘Badass Lion’.
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