Robert Whittaker is worried for Charles Oliveira at UFC 326: ‘Gonna get hurt’

‘Do Bronx’ will be looking to advance his ambitions of another shot at regaining the lightweight title by becoming the fourth man to hold the symbolic BMF belt.

But having seen what Holloway did to Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 and Dustin Poirier last July, Robert Whittaker fears for Oliveira’s health at the upcoming numbered event.

Robert Whittaker predicts Charles Oliveira will ‘get hurt’ against Max Holloway

Holloway will enter the UFC 326 main event full of confidence, having bounced back from his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria with a first victory in three attempts over Poirier.

Next Saturday, ‘Blessed’ will instead be tasked with repeating a win in his redo with Oliveira. And regardless of the result, Whittaker expects Holloway to dish out some punishment.

“I worry for Oliveira,” Whittaker said during a recent appearance on Submission Radio.

“I love him like everyone else does, but Max is the better striker. He’s going to go in there and go pow, pow, pow.

“Oliveira is going to get hurt, man. He gets hurt in a lot of fights,” he added.

Given some of Oliveira’s past fights, a damaging experience against Holloway on March 7 does not necessarily mean he won’t have his hand raised.

‘Do Bronx’ has a history of overcoming adversity inside the Octagon, and there is no better example than the victory that saw him complete an unlikely rise to the lightweight title in 2021.

Oliveira rallied to knock out Michael Chandler in round two of the UFC 262 main event after appearing incredibly close to getting finished himself in the first round.

He repeated that feat in subsequent fights against Gaethje and Poirier, recovering from knockdowns to submit both men inside the distance.