UFC 326 Preview: Max Holloway Trains BJJ in the Gi to Counter Charles Oliveira’s Grappling

UFC 326 lands this Saturday, March 7, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and fight fans are buzzing about the main event: BMF champion Max Holloway defending his title against former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. But what’s got the MMA and BJJ community talking even more than the fight itself is how Holloway has been preparing for it.

The Hawaiian striker — widely regarded as one of the greatest volume punchers in UFC history — has been putting on a gi and drilling Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And he’s not just doing it for cardio.

The First Fight: An Unfinished Story

Holloway and Oliveira first met back in August 2015 at UFC Fight Night 74 in Saskatoon, Canada. The fight barely got started. Oliveira attempted a takedown in the first round, suffered a neck and shoulder injury during the exchange, and couldn’t continue. Holloway was awarded a TKO, but nobody walked away from that fight feeling like they’d seen anything conclusive.

Over a decade later, both men are completely different fighters. Holloway went on to claim the UFC featherweight crown, defend it multiple times, and eventually move up to lightweight where he captured the symbolic BMF belt. Oliveira, meanwhile, transformed himself from a talented but inconsistent featherweight into one of the most dangerous lightweights ever, winning the 155-pound title and racking up a record number of UFC finishes.

This rematch has been years in the making, and the storylines are layered.

Holloway Goes to the Mats: Why the Gi Matters

Here’s where things get interesting for the grappling community. In the lead-up to UFC 326, Holloway has openly discussed his dedication to traditional gi BJJ training during this camp. Speaking to ESPN MMA, he dropped a statement that sent shockwaves through the fight world:

“The BMF thing would be to submit a submission artist.”

That’s not trash talk from a delusional striker. Holloway carries an 83% takedown defense rate in the UFC — one of the highest among active fighters. He’s notoriously hard to take down and hold down. But rather than simply planning to stuff Oliveira’s shots and keep the fight standing, Holloway is signaling that he’s prepared to engage on the ground.

“I find it funny, people say that this is a striker vs grappler matchup, but this is MMA,” Holloway explained. “I’ve been training in jiu-jitsu for years, I love it. I have way more jiu-jitsu sessions now than any other aspect, and I actually like them the most.”

The Gi Logic

When fans questioned why an MMA fighter would train in the gi, Holloway had a sharp answer: “If you can’t hold me down in a gi, then you’re not going to hold me down when I’m all sweaty in an MMA fight.”

This is actually solid grappling logic. The gi provides grips that make controlling an opponent easier. If you can escape, defend submissions, and maintain composure while someone has collar grips and sleeve control on you, then doing it without those handles becomes significantly easier. Many elite MMA grapplers — including Demian Maia, Fabricio Werdum, and Oliveira himself — built their ground games on gi fundamentals before adapting them to the cage.

For Holloway, this training approach serves multiple purposes:

• Submission defense: Oliveira has 16 submission wins in the UFC, the all-time record. Being comfortable in bad positions against skilled gi grapplers prepares Holloway for worst-case scenarios.
• Guard retention and escapes: Gi training forces you to address positional control without relying on slipperiness. You learn mechanical escapes, hip movement, and framing.
• Offensive opportunities: If Holloway does end up on top after a scramble, gi-developed passing and control translates directly to cage grappling.
• Mental edge: Telling the world you want to submit the most prolific submission artist in UFC history is a psychological play that puts pressure on Oliveira to keep the fight standing.

Charles Oliveira: The Ground Game Threat

None of this preparation would be necessary if Oliveira wasn’t genuinely terrifying on the mat. “Do Bronx” holds the UFC record for most submission victories (16) and most finishes overall (20). His guillotine choke is arguably the best weapon in MMA today, and he chains submissions together with a fluidity that makes even experienced grapplers look lost.

But Oliveira is far more than just a grappler now. His evolution into a legitimate knockout threat is one of the most compelling transformations in recent UFC history. He dropped Michael Chandler, hurt Justin Gaethje on the feet, and showed improved boxing against Dustin Poirier. The version of Oliveira walking into UFC 326 can finish the fight anywhere.

That duality is exactly why Holloway’s gi training makes sense. You can’t just prepare for one version of Oliveira — you have to be ready for all of them.

What This Means for BJJ Practitioners

For anyone training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — whether in Taipei, Taichung, or anywhere else — this fight is a masterclass in how the gi and MMA intersect. A few takeaways worth noting:

1. Gi training isn’t outdated for MMA. One of the best strikers alive is voluntarily spending more time in the gi than any other training modality. That should end the “gi is dead” debate for combat sports.
2. Defensive grappling is an elite skill. Holloway’s 83% takedown defense didn’t happen by accident. Consistent mat time, drilling defensive positions, and understanding leverage — these are BJJ fundamentals.
3. Submission awareness matters at every level. If a BMF champion is drilling submission escapes against Oliveira-caliber threats, recreational grapplers should be doing the same against their training partners.
4. Cross-training makes you unpredictable. Holloway adding a credible submission threat to his arsenal makes Oliveira’s game-planning infinitely harder. The same principle applies at the hobbyist level — develop every aspect of your game.

The Rest of the UFC 326 Card

The main event isn’t the only reason to tune in. The co-main features an intriguing middleweight matchup between Caio Borralho and ONE Championship veteran Reinier de Ridder, who’s a submission specialist in his own right. At bantamweight, Rob Font takes on Raul Rosas Jr. — the youngest fighter to ever sign with the UFC, now looking to prove he belongs in the rankings. And former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt returns against China’s Xiao Long on the prelims.

This is also a historic broadcast event: UFC 326 will be the first card partially aired on CBS under the new Paramount media deal, with the prelims and early main card simulcast on network television before the main event airs exclusively on Paramount+.

How to Watch UFC 326 from Taiwan

For fans in Taiwan, the main card kicks off Sunday morning, March 8, at approximately 6:00 AM Taiwan time (CST/UTC+8). The main event is expected around 8:00 AM. Early prelims start at 3:00 AM for the dedicated night owls. The card streams on Paramount+ internationally.

Final Thoughts

UFC 326 is shaping up to be one of the most significant events of 2026, and the Holloway-Oliveira rematch sits at the center of everything. For the BJJ community, watching a world-class striker respect the art enough to invest heavily in gi training — and then potentially test those skills against the most dangerous submission artist in UFC history — is exactly the kind of high-stakes grappling drama that makes this sport compelling.

Whether Holloway keeps it standing, takes Oliveira down, or gets pulled into the deep waters of “Do Bronx’s” guard, Saturday night promises answers to questions that have been building for over a decade.

Training BJJ in Taiwan? Check out our guides to gyms and training opportunities across the island.