Charles Oliveira fires back at critics of BMF win over Max Holloway: “My ground was impeccable”

Charles Oliveira isn’t letting the critics of his UFC 326 performance slide.

Oliveira shared the Octagon with Max Holloway in a lightweight bout for the BMF Championship on March 7. While some fans anticipated back-and-forth action, what they got was a grappling clinic from Oliveira. It ended up being a unanimous decision win for “do Bronxs,” and some fans were critical of the bout given that the BMF distinction was at stake.

Speaking to Olhar da Luta, Oliveira took aim at the critics by suggesting that they appreciate how technically sound he was on fight night (via MMAFighting).

“I came in to fight a guy that nobody had dominated, nobody had taken down,” Oliveira said. “Everyone who took him down, he would hit the mat and get right back up and then go on to do what he does, point down with 10 seconds left and knock them out. I came into a fight where, with all due respect, I made it look easy.

“The best hands, the best kicks, I was the one landing. My ground game was flawless. He defended, sure, but my ground was impeccable. There wasn’t a single moment where things got bad for me. I was the one who called him to the center and started landing. My hands got through. The only punch he landed hit my shoulder, and that’s the one that threw me off balance.”

With the emphatic victory over Holloway, Oliveira moves one step closer to returning to the UFC lightweight title picture. He is a former champion in the 155-pound division, and he’s hoping to capture the gold once again before he hangs up his gloves. Who Oliveira will be matched up against next remains to be seen.

Do you think the criticism of Charles Oliveira’s UFC 326 win over Max Holloway is justified? Share your thoughts in the comments below.