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Oliveira has dismissed the idea of a January rematch with Holloway but is confident the bout will happen in 2026
Alex PattleCombat Sports EditorMonday 01 December 2025 17:36 GMTComments
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Charles Oliveira has dismissed reports that he could fight Max Holloway in January, but he has insisted the rematch “will happen” in the first half of 2026.
Rumours spread this week that Oliveira would challenge Holloway for the latter’s ‘Baddest Mother******’ title in January, in an addition to an already-stacked UFC 324 card.
On 24 January, Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje will clash over the interim lightweight title, after Amanda Nunes emerges from retirement to challenge ex-teammate Kayla Harrison, the reigning women’s bantamweight champion.
But Oliveira has dismissed the idea that he and Holloway will be added to the event in a rematch of their 2015 bout, which Holloway won when the Brazilian suffered a neck injury.
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“Look, there’s nothing confirmed about my fight, Max Holloway and I for January,” Oliveira said in an Instagram story on Monday – speaking in Portuguese, with his words translated by Brazilian journalist Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting.
“I’m on vacation with my family. That [news] came out these days and there’s a lot of people calling me, tagging me. So far, we don’t know anything.
open image in galleryCharles Oliveira (right) during his June loss to Ilia Topuria (Getty Images)“And it certainly won’t be in January, just to make it clear. But this fight will happen; I want it, he wants it, and you also want it.
“We’re just waiting for the contract, but I believe it should be around March or April, so I expect to have some news soon. If that [report] came out, it means something is coming. Not now, but soon.”
Oliveira, 36, last fought in October, submitting Mateusz Gamrot on home soil in Brazil. With that, he bounced back from a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in June, when the latter claimed the vacant lightweight title – a belt previously held by Oliveira.
open image in galleryMax Holloway (left) outpointed Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout in July (Getty Images)Holloway also bounced back from a knockout loss to Topuria last time out. By outpointing Dustin Poirier in July, in the American’s retirement fight, Holloway retained the ‘BMF’ belt and moved past a 2024 defeat by Topuria.
Topuria’s win against Holloway saw the Spanish-Georgian retain the featherweight title previously held by the Hawaiian. Topuria then relinquished the belt in February, before beating Oliveira to win the lightweight strap in June.
Holloway vs Oliveira 2 would surely take place at lightweight, whereas their initial encounter was held at featherweight.
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