Max Holloway explains why he wanted to rematch Charles Oliveira at UFC 326

Max Holloway wanted the chance to run it back with Charles Oliveira.

Holloway and Oliveira first fought back in 2015 when both were at featherweight in the main event of a Fight Night card in Saskatoon. However, the fight ended in the first round as Oliveira suffered a neck injury, and since then, both have become UFC champions, so a rematch made sense.

Yet, Holloway said it wasn’t until Oliveira called him out that he thought the fight should happen. But he jumped at the chance to do so as he believes he can get that much closer to a lightweight title shot with a win.

“He called me out, and I was like, ‘Hey, the list to be a BMF,’ if you could tell me the list off the top of your mind, it’s not very long,” Holloway said to Daniel Cormier on the UFC’s YouTube channel. “When he called me out, he’s actually a step in the right direction to become a world champion, to get to an undisputed title. He did the job for me.”

Max Holloway expecting ‘fireworks’ against Charles Oliveira at UFC 326

As Holloway said, the UFC 326 main event is a crucial one for the lightweight division, as the Hawaiian knows he can enter the title talks with a win.

But, before that can happen, Max Holloway needs to beat Charles Oliveira on Saturday, and he’s expecting a fan-friendly fight.

“Fireworks, man. I keep telling you, if you are trying to get people into the sport, tune in,” Holloway said. “Me and Oliveira combine have the most wins ever in a matchup in the UFC. He has a lot of bonuses; he has the record, I think. I’ve made a lot of money in bonuses. If you want to see a fight to get fans into mixed martial arts, tune in for this one.”

Do you think Max Holloway will beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 326? Sound off in the comment section, PENN Nation!