This past Saturday night in the headliner of UFC Orlando, we saw a fun battle in the welterweight division. Former title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (17-6-1) took on the popular Kevin Holland (23-9).
Entering the bout, Holland was perfect in the UFC’s welterweight division. He was looking for a big win that would allow him to jump right into the top ten. In fighting Wonderboy, he was fighting a guy who would stand and trade with him which is what he wanted.
In boxing range early on, Holland was able to do damage and hurt Wonderboy. However, he also hurt himself. Holland broke three bones in his hand which limited his ability to use it throughout the fight. Combine that with the fact that Wonderboy started picking him apart and you have a bad night in the making for Holland.
In the fourth round, Thompson really started to take over. Brutalizing Holland with kicks and combinations. Late in the round, Holland was dropped by a combination and Wonderboy nearly got the finish. Holland’s corner through in the towel in between rounds giving him the TKO loss at UFC Orlando.
What’s next after UFC Orlando?
First and foremost, it’s going to take Holland some time to recover. Breaking three bones in his hand is going to have him on the sidelines for sometime. Probably won’t see him until sometime in mid-2023. Whenever he does return to the UFC, who should he face off with?
I think they got the style matchup right, but Wonderboy proved to be too much as of right now. I think he still needs a top contender or fringe top 15 guy in his return bout. I still like the idea of him facing off with Daniel Rodriguez at some point.
Another interesting bout would be him against Phil Rowe who also had a big win at UFC Orlando. Opponents like that should be the focus for the UFC and Holland upon his return.