Charles Oliveira recently secured the BMF title at UFC 326 following a dominant, grappling-heavy performance in the main event. Despite his victory, the Brazilian champion faced criticism from various fighters and fans who deemed his fighting style “dull,” particularly given the BMF belt’s reputation for high-intensity striking matches.
The BMF title was previously held by Max Holloway, who famously defeated Justin Gaethje in a spectacular fashion at UFC 300. Holloway is also set to defend the belt against UFC icon Dustin Poirier in the American’s retirement fight at UFC 318. Oliveira’s five-round grappling clinic, while effective in demonstrating his vast skill advantage over Holloway on the ground, disappointed some fans who expected the traditional BMF flair.
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz React to UFC 326
Two of the UFC’s most iconic and intertwined figures, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, were quick to share their similar reactions to Oliveira’s BMF title fight.
Nate Diaz, an original contender for the BMF belt when it was first introduced in 2019, fighting Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his blunt opinion:
Boring Mother Fuckers
— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) March 8, 2026
Conor McGregor, ever the center of MMA media attention, particularly during the UFC 326 event and its accompanying White House announcement, also voiced his strong disapproval on X. He criticized Max Holloway for not being more aggressive with elbows from top position and lambasted Oliveira’s performance:
DC on max on top “he should stall” lol. He should have elbowed all the open targets. payback. “Stall” lol fuck off. Shockingly bad fight. I am shocked. Charles is a little Charlie ahahaha very bad Charles very bad. Hang your head bad. Good luck.
Dont crown that belt.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 8, 2026
McGregor didn’t stop there, following up with a direct challenge:
If they want I’ll spank charlie
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 8, 2026
Charles Oliveira Responds
During the post-fight press conference, the newly crowned BMF champion was directly questioned about the critical comments from McGregor and Diaz. When asked about potential future matchups with either fighter, Oliveira showed no hesitation or fear:
“You want to put them at 170, you want to put them up there I don’t care, you want to put them at middleweight we do it, it doesn’t matter. I’ll tell you what if you want it make it a Grand Prix two fights same day see what happens.” (Quotes adapted from MMAFightingonSBN Youtube channel.)
With his impressive resume and current standing, particularly in the lightweight division, Charles Oliveira is now in a position to pursue high-profile “money fights,” which would certainly include a highly anticipated clash with “The Notorious.” However, a definitive return to the octagon for McGregor remains a topic of much speculation rather than certainty.