TLDR
- Paddy Pimblett says Charles Oliveira’s grappling isn’t levels above his own despite what fans believe
- Oliveira defeated Max Holloway by unanimous decision at UFC 326 with over 20 minutes of ground control
- Pimblett predicts he would have a striking battle with Oliveira if they fought
- Some fans criticized Oliveira for not inflicting enough damage despite controlling Holloway throughout the fight
- Pimblett is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Justin Gaethje in an interim title fight
Sources: sherdog.com
Paddy Pimblett wants fans to know that Charles Oliveira’s grappling skills aren’t far ahead of his own. The Liverpool fighter made the comments after Oliveira’s dominant performance at UFC 326 on Saturday.
Oliveira defeated Max Holloway by unanimous decision in the main event for the BMF belt. He controlled Holloway on the ground for more than 20 minutes during the fight.
Pimblett reacted to the performance by saying he would love the chance to fight Oliveira. He rejected the idea that Oliveira’s grappling is on a different level than his.
“I’d love to fight Charles, though,” Pimblett said on YouTube. “Everyone talks about his grappling and thinks it’s levels above mine, but I know it isn’t.”
Pimblett went further by predicting how a fight between them would play out. He believes the fight would stay on the feet rather than turn into a grappling match.
đź‘€Paddy Pimblett is down to fight Charles Oliveira:
“If I fought Charles we probably would end up having a war on the feet.
Everyone goes on about his grappling. Everyone thinks it’s levels above mine, and I know it isn’t.”
(via @PaddyTheBaddy) pic.twitter.com/IpgSeulbRQ
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) March 9, 2026
Oliveira’s Ground Control Against Holloway
“If I fought Charles, I’d probably end up having a war on the feet,” Pimblett added.
Oliveira’s record now stands at 37 wins and 11 losses. He threatened several submissions against Holloway during their fight.
Holloway defended well against the submission attempts from one of the sport’s most dangerous ground fighters. The Hawaiian fighter avoided getting finished despite spending most of the fight on his back.
Some fans criticized Oliveira after the fight for not inflicting enough damage on Holloway. They questioned whether his performance was worthy of the BMF title despite the dominant control.
Pimblett’s Recent Loss
Pimblett is coming off a loss in his last fight. He dropped a unanimous decision to Justin Gaethje in an interim lightweight title fight.
Gaethje has history with Oliveira from a 2022 fight. Oliveira submitted Gaethje by rear-naked choke in that bout.
Pimblett’s record currently sits at 23 wins and 4 losses. He has built a reputation as an exciting fighter with strong grappling skills of his own.
The British fighter has finished multiple opponents by submission during his UFC career. He earned his nickname “The Baddy” through his confident personality and fighting style.
Oliveira remains one of the most feared submission artists in the lightweight division. He holds the UFC record for most submission victories in the promotion’s history.
Whether Pimblett gets his wish to face Oliveira remains unclear. Both fighters compete in the crowded lightweight division with many potential matchups available.
