Pimblett Backs Oliveira’s Grappling-Focused Strategy at UFC 326

Lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett has defended Charles Oliveira’s grappling-heavy approach in his recent BMF title victory over Max Holloway at UFC 326. Despite criticism from some fans who anticipated a stand-up war, Pimblett believes Oliveira made the correct strategic decision to utilize his jiu-jitsu skills.

Oliveira Dominates Holloway on the Ground

Charles Oliveira defeated Max Holloway at UFC 326, claiming the BMF title after a dominant performance characterized by grappling. Oliveira secured five takedowns and maintained over 20 minutes of ground control against Holloway, a strategy that drew mixed reactions from the MMA community. Yahoo Sports reported on Pimblett’s defense of Oliveira’s tactics.

Pimblett: Winning is the Only Metric

Pimblett, speaking on his YouTube channel, argued that Oliveira’s primary goal was to win, and his grappling-focused strategy was an effective means to that end. “Dominant performance,” Pimblett stated. “I couldn’t understand why people were moaning about it like, BMF title fight, you expect more striking. But, as I’ve seen other people saying, that’s very BMF going out there and dominating someone for 25 minutes.” He added, “You’ve got to win. It’s the name of the game: winning.” Lee.net also covered Pimblett’s comments.

Pimblett Eyes a Potential Matchup with Oliveira

Pimblett also expressed interest in a future fight with Oliveira, believing his own grappling skills are comparable to the former champion’s. “I’d love to fight Charles, though,” Pimblett said. “Everyone goes on about his grappling, everyone thinks it’s levels above mine, and I know it isn’t. If I fought Charles, we’d probably end up having a war on the feet.” Bloody Elbow highlighted Pimblett’s confidence in his grappling abilities.

Oliveira’s Ground Game: A Statistical Look

Throughout his UFC career, Oliveira has amassed 17 submission victories, demonstrating his proficiency in grappling. At UFC 326, he attempted four submissions on Holloway, the most any opponent has ever attempted on “Blessed,” with Dustin Poirier being the only other fighter to attempt a submission.

Pimblett acknowledged he should have employed a similar strategy in his previous fight against Jordan Leve, stating, “I probably should have tried to do that more in my last fight, get 21 minutes of ground control, but instead, I stood there and tried to bang it out.”