Megan Olivi: UFC 326 BMF loser facing 'long time' out of title picture

Megan Olivi thinks more than the BMF title is at stake in the UFC 326 main event: Relevance as a lightweight contender is on the line, too.

Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23-8 UFC) and Oliveira (36-11 MMA, 24-11 UFC) both enter Saturday's rematch from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+, CBS) with desires of winning and going on to challenge for the undisputed 155-pound title.

Whether it's Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, or perhaps even Arman Tsarukyan, some serious championship aspirations exist, and this win is imperative if they want to get there while hanging on to their prime years.

Holloway, 34, and Oliveira, 37, might only have limited time left to get that opportunity, and longtime UFC reporter Olivi thinks the loser will be ushered out of the title conversation – potentially for good.

"It's important because the step forward has got to be taken," Olivi told MMA Junkie. "There's so many players in that scenario that it could be a long time before the person who is not victorious to find themselves in a scenario that gets them back close to a title because there's a logjam. There's a lot of talent. There's up-and-coming talent and there's a lot of people that want their shot. If one of these former champions does not deliver on Saturday night, it might be much longer than a year until they're able to put their name back in the mix."

The rematch between "Blessed" and "Do Bronx" has been more than 10 years in the making after their first bout at UFC Fight Night 74 in August 2015 ended in disappointment. Oliveira suffered a neck injury early in the first round, resulting in a TKO win for Holloway and an unsatisfactory conclusion.

Both men have gone on to become legends of the sport, winning belts and setting records all along the way.

Now they collide in a highly important fight, and while their track records say it won't go all five rounds, Olivi admits she'd like to hear that final clapper to see what happens when someone point down to the center of the octagon.

"Selfishly, I hope it gets there. Do I actually think it gets there? I don't. But selfishly, let's go," Olivi said. "Because the two of them, they've already said, 'We're going to do this.' Charles is looking forward to it with Max pointing down. He's willing to be in that dance and of course we know Max is ready, willing and able to do that as well. I think it would be historic. I think it would just make the whole night."

To hear more from Olivi, check out her complete appearance on "The Bohnfire" podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Megan Olivi: UFC 326 BMF loser facing 'long time' out of title picture