Jorge Masvidal has come to Charles Oliveira's defense over his BMF title victory at UFC 326, even after admitting the performance cost him a significant amount of money.
Oliveira defeated Max Holloway via unanimous decision in their rematch at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, retaining the BMF title with a grappling-heavy approach that frustrated fans who expected a striking showcase. The performance sparked debate over whether a control-based wrestling strategy was appropriate for a belt built on explosive, memorable fighting.
Speaking on The Bohnfire podcast, Masvidal pushed back against that criticism from a position of unique authority as the inaugural BMF champion.
I think it's still very BMF," Masvidal said. "Maybe people don't like the style, but Charles was trying to end him the whole time. It wasn't like he was a crotch sniffer, where he was getting to halfway situations and just holding on for dear life. He was getting to good positions, either elbowing him or going for submissions. That's not in any way a bad performance.
Masvidal also made the case that Oliveira's motivation gave the performance a deeper meaning than the scorecards alone could capture.
People say that BMFs are supposed to just stand and strike. I see that point. But on Charles Oliveira's part, Max had made him quit some years ago. To come back, full circle, and beat the guy that made you quit. That's a BMF.
He then revealed the personal cost of his loyalty to Holloway in that fight.
Props to Charles, and I dumped the house on Max. Man, I lost a lot of money there.
The UFC prohibits active athletes from betting on the promotion's events. Masvidal retired in 2023 but has been targeting a comeback in 2026 and still holds an active contract.
