5 Fights We Need to See After UFC 326

Charles Oliveira's UFC 326 win over Max Holloway may not have been pretty, but it sure was one-sided.

Oliveira and Holloway met in the Saturday-night card's main event, with the UFC's novelty BMF belt on the line. While the oddsmakers and the majority of fans and pundits all seemed to be backing Holloway to win the fight, Oliveira defied those expectations, using takedowns, top control, submission attempts, and ground and pound to score a wide, unanimous decision victory.

It was an important win for Oliveira. Last year, the Brazilian legend suffered a brutal, first-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria. That loss had many fans wondering if his time at the top was over, but after recent wins over Mateusz Gamrot and now Holloway, it's clear he's still near the height of his power.

His next move will depend on several factors, but there are certainly a few interesting options available. Keep scrolling to see who we'd like to see Oliveira fight next, as well as four other fights we'd like to see made in the aftermath of UFC 326.

Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan II

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Charles Oliveira's next move is likely to be significantly influenced by the outcome of the upcoming lightweight title unification bout between undisputed champ Ilia Topuria and interim champ Justin Gaethje, which will headline the UFC White House card on June 14.

If Topuria wins, Oliveira is likely to remain just outside title contention, having just lost to the undefeated champion last year. If Gaethje wins, however, he could easily find himself involved in the next lightweight title fight, as he holds a win over the interim champ and remains one of the division's top contenders.

It's possible Oliveira will opt to sit and wait to see how that fight shakes out, but that seems foolish. The fact is that Gaethje is very unlikely to beat a young champion like Topuria, and even if he does, he's talked about retiring after the fight, no matter the outcome. There are enough variables at play that it seems like a waste of time for Oliveira to wait around, especially at this stage of his career. If he's smart, which he is, he'll take another fight in the meantime. And if that's the case, the best option is clearly a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan.

Oliveira and Tsarukyan first met on the main card of UFC 300 in 2024. On that occasion, Tsarukyan left the cage with a very competitive and hotly debated decision win. Because of the close nature of their first fight, a rematch has been a viable option ever since. Today, when they're both waiting on the result of Topuria vs. Gaethje, the timing is perfect.

Match Oliveira and Tsarukyan up soon—perhaps as soon as International Fight Week in the early summer, considering Oliveira took almost no damage against Holloway—and pit the winner against whomever has the title after the White House show.

Max Holloway vs. Dan Hooker

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There's no debating it: Max Holloway's lopsided loss to Charles Oliveira was a disaster for his career. After winning back-to-back lightweight fights against Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, the Hawaiian was right on the cusp of title contention, even after losing to Topuria at featherweight a few years back. Had he beaten Oliveira, he would be one of the frontrunners for a crack at the Topuria vs. Gaethje winner, but instead, he's tumbled right out of title contention.

The good news for Holloway fans is that he's not done yet. He's made that very clear in the immediate aftermath of UFC 326. Assuming he actually does fight again, the best choice for his next opponent is probably Dan Hooker.

Hooker hasn't achieved a fraction of Holloway's success, but he has been ranked in the lightweight top 15 for years and is popular among fans for his all-action fighting style and antics outside the Octagon. He's also riding back-to-back losses to Arman Tsarukyan and Benoit Saint Denis, which have sent him hurtling even further out of title contention than Holloway. Matching him up with Holloway makes sense given their popularity and recent results, and it would surely deliver in terms of entertainment. It would be a bit of a step down in competition for the Hawaiian, for sure, but that's probably what the Hawaiian legend needs after spending years battling the toughest fighters on earth.

Caio Borralho vs. Dricus Du Plessis

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UFC 326 was co-headlined by a clash of top-10 middleweights, with Fighting Nerds rep Caio Borralho taking on former ONE champ Reinier de Ridder. Both men needed wins badly after recent losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Brendan Allen, respectively, and in the end, it was Brazil's Borralho who got the result he wanted—albeit with a close judges' decision.

The win put Borralho back on track for title contention. However, he definitely needs a few more wins to set up a title shot, particularly with contenders like Imavov and Sean Strickland both ranked ahead of him, and new champion Khamzat Chimaev taking forever to accept his first title defense.

If Borralho gets his way, he'll look to take another step toward title contention opposite former champion Dricus Du Plessis, whom he called out in his post-fight interview.

Over the last few months, it seemed somewhat likely that the UFC would book Du Plessis against Allen, who is riding a win over De Ridder, as we've covered. However, a fight between Du Plessis and Borralho makes just as much sense, so we may as well give the Brazilian what he asked for. He also holds a recent win over Allen, which gives him a little more say in the matter.

Du Plessis, who has not fought since losing the belt to Chimaev last year, may have been hoping for something a little bigger in his long-awaited return, but there are not really any better options available. Book it.

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Marlon Vera

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The UFC 326 main card also featured the latest appearance from hyped bantamweight prospect Raul Rosas Jr. He was back in action against No. 13-ranked contender Rob Font. It was his first fight with a ranked opponent.

Rosas won his fight with Font by unanimous decision, but probably didn't earn any new fans in the process, as he relied on takedowns, top control, and little else to get the job done. Nonetheless, it was the biggest win of his career and, more or less, ensures him another fight with a ranked opponent.

Our choice would be Ecuador's Marlon "Chito" Vera.

Chito has been ranked in the bantamweight top-15 for years and even challenged Sean O'Malley for the belt in 2024. However, he is now riding a four-straight loss, having followed his failed title bid against O'Malley with decision losses to Deiveson Figueiredo, Aiemann Zahabi, and, most recently, David Martinez.

At this point, another loss would likely push Chito out of the rankings. It might even cost him his UFC contract. Why not give him the chance to turn things around against Rosas, who will hopefully be looking for a far more emphatic win than the snoozer he gave us against Font?

To abuse an old cliche, let's see who wants it more.

Drew Dober vs. Jalin Turner

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Drew Dober will probably never work his way into lightweight title contention, but he seldom fails to deliver when it comes to entertainment—win, lose or draw. At UFC 326, he gave us another memorable performance, this time at the expense of Michael Johnson, whom he knocked out in round two.

Dober's bonus-winning KO over Johnson follows another stoppage win over Kyle Prepolec. With two finishes behind him, he deserves a bit of a step up in competition, and Jalin Turner would be just that.

Turner was ranked among the lightweight top-15 but was removed from the rankings after a short-lived retirement. Last year, he returned to action, defeating dangerous veteran Edson Barboza via strikes in his first fight back. The win wasn't enough to put him back in the rankings, but it got him close—just like Dober is.

Given their recent results, it makes sense to match Dober and Turner up, either on a pay-per-view main card or near the top of a Fight Night event. Whenever it happens, it seems like a guaranteed thriller, and it would set the winner up for even more significant opportunities in the crowded lightweight division.