Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira: What We Learned from UFC Fight Night 74 Tilt

The UFC featherweight division is as hot as any weight class in today's mixed martial arts.

That blazing presence was on full display Sunday as No. 5-ranked Max Holloway and No. 7-ranked Charles Oliveira put their impressive win streaks on the line (six-fight and four-fight streaks, respectively).

Holloway, one of the most talented strikers in the division, was in search of the key win that would essentially deliver him to the divisional elite's doorstep.

Oliveira, a submission expert with a tenacity to finish, needed to defeat the next name in his way in order to solidify his own chances for title contention entering 2016.

Unfortunately, because of an apparent shoulder/neck injury to Oliveira during a takedown attempt early in the first round, the Brazilian was unable to continue.

The fight was officially ruled a TKO victory for Holloway but one without any sort of solidified conviction.

Here is what we learned from Sunday's main event tilt at Fight Night 74.

What We'll Remember About This Fight

There wasn't much to see Sunday as Holloway happened to injure Oliveira's shoulder area during a first-round takedown defense, spinning against the cage before landing in top position.

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However, the exchanges that the two featherweights shared before that tie-up certainly favored the Hawaiian. With timely combinations, shifty footwork and damaging body punches, Holloway did what he needed to do in order to gain momentum early.

Obviously, the injury to Do Bronx will be the most memorable moment of this fight, especially to the Canadian fans in attendance who may feel slighted regarding this main event.

But when it comes down to it, Holloway did what was necessary and made the moves he needed to make in order to secure the win.

What We Learned About Holloway

Oliveira's injury came on the heels of a Holloway takedown defense, which would have been his glaring weakness entering this fight.

ANDERS WIKLUND/Associated Press

So, Holloway's ultimate windsor was at least one aspect of this misfortune that displayed the 23-year-old's continuous evolution—an evolution that has led to seven-straight UFC wins.

To add insult to injury, Blessed was getting the best of the Brazilian prior to the finish. From cutting angles to lunging punches to make up for a lack of reach, Holloway came into Sunday's fight with a clearly efficient game plan.

It's not the overall performance Holloway wanted, but it nevertheless gave us glimpses of his potential moving forward.

What We Learned About Oliveira

Nobody wants to see a main event tainted by a freak injury, let alone a concerning ailment to a 25-year-old up-and-comer like Oliveira.

The grappling expert never got his chance to drag Holloway to the ground and make him defend countless transitions and submission attempts. He wasn't too impressive on the feet, either.

While he held his hands high and remained in motion, he seemed like a deer caught in the headlights when Holloway initiated any sort of offense.

Hopefully this isn't something that derails the Brazilian entering 2016, but he was losing the fight from the start.

What's Next for Holloway

There is no way Holloway gets a title shot without going through Frankie Edgar.

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And given that Chad Mendes is coming off a loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 189, it's more than likely that he gets bypassed in this scenario.

That leaves Edgar vs. Holloway as the only available No. 1 contender's bout at 145 pounds. That one may end up happening before the end of the year considering Holloway barely exhausted himself on Sunday.

Jeremy Stephens is a dark horse in this equation, but recent weight-cut issues should prohibit him from sneaking past the bouncers.

What's Next for Oliveira

Oliveira must heal before he does anything. While the injury looked painful, it probably won't threaten his UFC career moving forward.

However, this is a loss no matter how you spin it, and it will certainly drop him back down the featherweight ladder.

A future matchup with Cub Swanson or Dennis Bermudez makes perfect sense. Of course, Do Bronx will have to get right before he gets revenge.

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