This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 22, we saw a matchup of top ten middleweights in the main event. Kevin Holland (21-6) was looking to build off of his incredible 2020 and get a win over the tough veteran, Derek Brunson (22-7).
Brunson has proved to be somewhat of a gatekeeper in the UFC‘s middleweight division. He usually takes on some of the best contenders that are on the rise. He’s only lost to the very best in the middleweight division.
Kevin Holland has all the makings of a superstar. He’s incredibly entertaining and he has such a fun personality. However, he’s got the skills inside the octagon to back it up. However, this was going to be a massive test to see where Holland was at.
Unfortunately for Kevin Holland, Saturday night showed that he still has a ways to go. Holland had some bright spots at UFC Vegas 22 including hurting Brunson on the feet a few times. However, when he did hurt Brunson, his wild style ultimately prevented him from getting the finish.
In the end, Holland had no answer for the wrestling attack of Derek Brunson. For the most part, Brunson was able to get Holland down throughout the fight and walked away with a decision victory at UFC Vegas 22.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 22?
After the event, Holland was still positive. However, he did mention that he’s interested in dropping down to the UFC’s welterweight division. Holland weighed in at 183 pounds for the main event on Saturday night.
In his post-fight remarks, Holland had mentioned getting a nutritionist and dropping down a weight class. I believe this might be the best thing for Holland’s career if he can make the weight with relative ease.
So let’s say he drops down to the UFC’s welterweight division, what’s next? Holland had mentioned that he would love a fight with Belal Muhammad (18-3, 1 NC). The two men have had some back and forth, and Holland would love that matchup.
However, I don’t see the UFC giving him that fight right away at 170 pounds. I think a better option would be the winner of the Daniel Rodriguez – Mike Perry fight. These two fight on April 10th and whoever wins would be the perfect matchup for Holland’s debut at welterweight.