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UFC 326 Holloway vs Oliveira 2 Eleven Years, One Unfinished Fight

Frontier Affairs

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

UFC 326 takes place March 7, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas — Max Holloway defends his BMF title against Charles Oliveira.
Their first fight in 2015 lasted just 90 seconds before a freak injury ended it — the rematch is 11 years in the making.
Holloway holds the UFC record for significant strikes: 3,655. Oliveira holds the record for submissions: 21 fight-night bonuses.
UFC 326 is the first event on CBS under the new Paramount Skydance media rights deal.
Nine of the ten main card fighters are aged 33 or older — a remarkable gathering of combat veterans.

UFC 326 Holloway vs Oliveira 2 The Fight That Should Have Happened a Decade Ago

UFC 326 holloway vs oliveira 2 Some rivalries end cleanly. Some end controversially. And some — frustratingly — never quite get started. The first meeting between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira at UFC Fight Night 74 in August 2015 belongs in that last category: barely ninety seconds in, a freak neck-and-esophagus injury forced one of the most anticlimactic endings in UFC history.

For eleven years, both men carried that unresolved story through the most decorated chapters of their careers. Holloway built the greatest featherweight dynasty the sport has ever seen. Oliveira became the most submission-heavy champion in lightweight history. Neither forgot what was left unfinished.

The first fight was a letdown — I’m not going to lie about it. A lot of people were disappointed. We get to right that wrong tonight, and I’m excited for it. Max Holloway, UFC 326 Media Day

Holloway enters UFC 326 as the reigning BMF champion and a heavy betting favourite carrying 3,655 significant strikes across his UFC career, more than any fighter in promotion history. His path to the BMF title was one of the sport’s great redemption arcs: cut from featherweight after a trilogy loss to Alexander Volkanovski, he moved to lightweight a division where he was supposed to be undersized and overwhelmed and knocked out Justin Gaethje in a performance that redefined what he is capable of.

What Holloway has done since that night is transform a novelty belt into the most compelling individual prize in the sport. He fights anyone, anywhere, at any weight and he does it with a smile on his face and violence in his hands.

Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 The Submission King With Everything to Prove

Charles Oliveira arrives in Las Vegas with a professional record of 36-11-1NC, carrying the UFC record for submission victories and 21 fight-night bonuses — figures that place him among the most decorated finishers in the sport’s history.

His journey since 2015 has been as remarkable as Holloway’s, and considerably more turbulent. Oliveira spent years losing important fights, missing weight, and being written off as a gifted but brittle competitor who couldn’t win when it mattered. Then came the greatest winning streak in lightweight history, a UFC title, a missed-weight controversy, a second title run, and finally a loss to Islam Makhachev — widely regarded as the sport’s best pound-for-pound fighter.

Oliveira has been refreshingly candid about his motivation for this fight. A dominant performance against Holloway, he believes, sets up one thing: Conor McGregor. “For the money,” he told a Brazilian journalist before flying to Las Vegas. “That’s it.” Whatever the motivation — the performance will need to be real.

Caio Borralho vs Reinier de Ridder The Co-Main That Could Steal the Show

The middleweight division’s next contender fight lands in the co-main event: No. 7 ranked Caio Borralho (17-2-1NC) against No. 8 ranked Reinier de Ridder (21-3), with the winner almost certainly positioning themselves as the next title challenger in a division currently ruled by Sean Strickland.

De Ridder arrived from ONE Championship carrying enormous expectations. His UFC results have been mixed — making Saturday a genuine crossroads moment for both men. This is a fight with real stakes, and in a card already packed with veteran excellence, it deserves serious attention.

UFC 326 on CBS A Historic Night for Combat Sports Broadcasting

Beyond the fights, UFC 326 marks a genuine turning point in the business of American sports media. This is the first UFC event to air on CBS under the new Paramount Skydance media rights deal that began in January 2026 — the moment mixed martial arts, once banned on network television and dismissed as “human cockfighting,” arrives on America’s oldest broadcast network as a primetime sporting property.

The broadcast structure: CBS airs the final hour of the prelims and the first hour of the main card. The full main card, including the Holloway vs Oliveira 2 main event, streams exclusively on Paramount+ ($8.99/month Essential, $13.99/month Premium).

Cody Garbrandt UFC Return 2026 "Fighting Saved My Life"

The preliminary card features the return of former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt against Xiao Long — a must-win situation for a fighter whose comeback story has resonated far beyond the technical details of his record. “Fighting saved my life,” Garbrandt said plainly. That’s all that needs to be said.

Nine of the ten main card fighters are aged 33 or older. That number alone tells you something about what kind of night this is — a celebration of veterans who have earned every scar and every grey hair they carry into the T-Mobile Arena.

UFC 326 Frequently Asked Questions

What time is UFC 326 tonight?

UFC 326 early prelims begin at 6:00 PM ET / 11:00 PM GMT. The main card starts at 10:00 PM ET / 3:00 AM GMT (Sunday). The Holloway vs Oliveira 2 main event is expected to begin around 12:30 AM ET / 5:30 AM GMT.

What channel is UFC 326 on?

In the United States, UFC 326 airs on CBS (partial card) and Paramount+ (full main card). In the UK, the event is available on TNT Sports. In Europe, availability varies by country — check your regional UFC broadcast partner.

Who is fighting on UFC 326?

The main event is Max Holloway vs Charles Oliveira 2 for the BMF title. The co-main is Caio Borralho vs Reinier de Ridder at middleweight. Former champion Cody Garbrandt also returns on the preliminary card against Xiao Long.

Who is the favourite at UFC 326?

Max Holloway is the betting favourite at -235 (BetMGM). Charles Oliveira is the underdog at approximately +190.

⚡ TONIGHT AT T-MOBILE ARENA

Eleven Years Ends Tonight

UFC 326 Holloway vs Oliveira 2 is the convergence of two Hall of Fame careers, one BMF title, a historic broadcast debut on CBS, and a Las Vegas crowd that has waited eleven years to see this fight done properly.

Holloway brings the most significant strikes in UFC history. Oliveira brings the most submissions. Nine of the ten main card fighters are 33 or older — every one of them still hungry, still dangerous, still here.

In 2015, it ended in ninety seconds. On March 7, 2026, the waiting ends. Frontier Affairs will track the results, the implications, and what comes next.