Max Holloway has set his sights on Ilia Topuria again, and this time he wants everything on the table. The BMF champion is targeting a path that runs through Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 and leads straight to a rematch with Topuria for both the BMF strap and the undisputed lightweight title.
Max Holloway Eyes Ilia Topuria Rematch After UFC 326 Clash With Charles Oliveira
Speaking to TNT Sports, Holloway laid out his ideal scenario, referencing their first meeting and the stakes he wants next time. “In a perfect world, we go out there, get my hand raised, and do it very fashionably—make it undeniable, make a moment. Then go get Ilia, with the BMF title on the line and the undisputed title as well,” Holloway said. He added that Topuria “was talking about the last one at 145, but the title wasn’t on the line,” and pushed the responsibility back toward the promotion: “You can’t be mad at me—be mad at the UFC. They didn’t allow it.”
Holloway’s frustration is easy to understand given how the first fight ended. Topuria stopped him in the main event of UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on October 26, 2024, defending the featherweight title with a third‑round knockout that handed Holloway the first KO loss of his career. A right hand hurt Holloway, a left hook dropped him, and follow‑up ground‑and‑pound forced the stoppage.
He captured the BMF belt by knocking out Justin Gaethje with a walk‑off right hand in the final seconds of their fight at UFC 300, a finish that instantly became one of the defining moments of the card. He then moved full time to lightweight and outpointed Dustin Poirier in a trilogy bout at UFC 318, becoming the first BMF champion to log a successful defense. The UFC has now booked Holloway to defend the BMF title against former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in a rematch at UFC 326 on March 7, 2026, at T‑Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Topuria’s position has changed just as dramatically. After knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 to win the featherweight belt, he defended against Holloway at UFC 308, then moved up and knocked out Oliveira in the first round at UFC 317 to claim the vacant lightweight title and become a two‑division champion. Along the way he spoke repeatedly about his struggles making 145 pounds and suggested his featherweight run was nearing its end, which frames Holloway’s remark about “the last one at 145” and the belt not being at stake.
The lightweight landscape is crowded. An interim title fight between Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 will produce a mandatory challenger for Topuria. Topuria has indicated interest in facing the winner, while Holloway is trying to force his way into that conversation by tying his BMF reign to a bid for undisputed gold.
For Holloway, the equation is simple: beat Oliveira again at UFC 326, keep the BMF belt, and leave the UFC with a lucrative storyline, revenge against the only man to stop him, with two titles on the line.
