Kevin Holland

Trail Blazer

USA

Earns much-needed win
MiddleweightUFC
March 22, 2025
Holland defeated Gunnar Nelson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in London.
ANALYSIS
We have plenty of evidence that Holland simply isn't big enough or physical enough to compete at middleweight. Yet with his length and striking skills, he can be an effective fighter at welterweight, as we saw here. Holland predictably struggled with the grappling game of Nelson, allowing three takedowns and 9:29 worth of control time. However, he was responsible for the biggest moment of the fight with a Round 1 knockdown and survived Gunnar's lone submission attempt in Round 3. That, combined with Nelson's inactivity from top position, won him the fight. Entering with a 1-4 record in his past five fights, Holland needed a victory in the worst way. Not only did he get the win, but Holland was one of four $50,000 Performance of the Night recipients despite not securing a finish.
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Scheduled for London fight
MiddleweightUFC
January 30, 2025
Holland is expected to compete against Gunnar Nelson at UFC London on March 22, per Damon Martin of MMA Fighting.
ANALYSIS
Currently 1-4 across his last five fights, Holland will have no problem trying to get back on track quickly, barely over two months after his submission loss to Reinier de Ridder. Up next for Holland is Nelson, who has not fought since 2023 and not won a fight since 2022.
Struggles continue in Los Angeles
MiddleweightUFC
January 18, 2025
Holland lost to Reinier de Ridder via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:31 of Round 1 at UFC 311 on Saturday in Los Angeles.
ANALYSIS
Holland's evening ended about nine seconds into this fight. It was at that point he ate a right hand which led to a takedown from de Ridder. He managed to intelligently defend himself on the mat for a few minutes before giving up his back and getting choked out. Holland said earlier this week that his goal was to fight five times in 2025. Given the fact he's 1-4 in his past five bouts dating back to September 2023, it may be a better idea to take some time off before accepting a potentially advantageous matchup. It's also quite clear Holland is too lanky to compete at 185 pounds. He's going to have to suck up the weight cut and drop back down to welterweight if he hopes to remain competitive moving forward.
Booked for UFC 311
MiddleweightUFC
November 26, 2024
Holland will fight Reinier de Ridder at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Holland lost to Roman Dolidze in October to drop to 1-3 over his last four fights. While momentum may not be in his favor, he'll have a significant experience advantage over his next opponent, who is coming off a win in his UFC debut.
Injury leads to TKO defeat
MiddleweightUFC
October 5, 2024
Holland lost to Roman Dolidze via TKO (injury) at 5:00 of Round 1 at UFC 307 on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
ANALYSIS
It's an exceptionally bad break for Holland in a fight that feels like he had to have. Kevin gave up an early takedown and spent the vast majority of Round 1 on his back. He defended well, only to appear to pop a rib during a transition attempt. Dolidze then found himself in mount and unloaded, with Holland hanging around to see the end of the frame. Both Kevin and his team conferred in between rounds and it was determined he could not continue. Set to turn 32 years of age in early November, Holland has lost three of four dating back to September 2023. He would be wise to move down to welterweight full time in an attempt to make a run at 170 pounds.
Scheduled against Dolidze
MiddleweightUFC
August 16, 2024
Holland will compete against fellow middleweight Roman Dolidze at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5, according to Damon Martin of MMA Fighting.
ANALYSIS
Holland waited only a day before getting another opponent for UFC 307. Dolidze recently made some noise at light heavyweight by defeating Anthony Smith, so his return to a lower division should not make him an easy opponent by any means. Holland is coming off momentum of his own though, having submitted Michal Oleksiejczuk.