UFC Vegas 23 has a new headliner. Kevin Holland (21-6) broke the news on his Twitter page today that he is stepping in for Darren Till to take on Marvin Vettori (16-4-1) in the main event.
Just a couple of days ago, we learned that Darren Till broke his collarbone and had to pull out of the main event. The UFC immediately started looking for replacements and Holland offered his services.
Holland just fought back at UFC Vegas 22 a couple of weeks ago. The Trailblazer took on Derek Brunson in the main event. Holland entered the contest having gone 5-0 in the UFC during 2020.
Had Holland won a couple of weeks ago, he’d be right in the title picture. However, that didn’t happen. Derek Brunson used his wrestling to put a stop to the Kevin Holland hype train.
After the fight was over, Holland said he was contemplating a move to the UFC‘s welterweight division. However, when Till pulled out of next weekend’s main event, he saw it as a perfect bounce back opportunity.
UFC Vegas 23’s New Headliner
Marvin Vettori is no stranger to last minute opponent changes. If you recall, Vettori was actually supposed to take on Jacare Souza back at UFC 256 and Kevin Holland was supposed to take on Jack Hermansson.
However, Holland tested positive for COVID and needed to be pushed back. The UFC put Vettori in to face Hermansson and they gave Jacare Souza to Kevin Holland. Both Vettori and Holland won impressively.
The Italian Dream has won four in a row since his split decision loss to UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Every time Vettori enters the octagon, he’s showed a ton of improvement.
He’s proved himself and shown that he’s going to be a dangerous contender at 185 pounds. This is a huge fight for both men. If Holland wins, he gains back all the ground that he lost at UFC Vegas 22.
On the flip side, if Vettori wins, it would be his fifth win in a row. The UFC would likely put Vettori in a title eliminator which means he would be only one win away from a shot at the middleweight title. Should be a fun buildup to next weekend’s new main event.