
Kicking off the PPV main card at UFC 311 was a very intriguing matchup in the middleweight division between two guys trying to crack the top fifteen. One of the more charismatic fighters in the promotion in Kevin Holland (26-12, 1 NC) will be taking on former two-division ONE champion Reinier De Ridder (18-2).
For Kevin Holland, he was looking to get back on track after his last fight. Holland returned to middleweight last year and started strong with a submission win, but he suffered an injury TKO loss against Roman Dolidze last October. He was looking to get back on track and potentially crack the rankings with a win tonight.
Reinier De Ridder made his octagon debut back in November and scored a third-round submission over Gerald Meerschaert. It wasn’t the best performance in the world and tonight, RDR was looking to show fans why there was a lot of hype when he signed with the UFC.
UFC 311 Recap
Round 1
The UFC 311 main card opener kicked off with a touch of the gloves. Immediate shot from De Ridder and he lands the takedown. Holland immediately working off his back and he’s throwing big elbows off his back. De Ridder is trying to stay composed but Holland is throwing up a ton of attacks here early on.
De Ridder settles into the guard with four minutes left to work. De Ridder postures up and Holland throws up a big up kick. These two are talking a lot to each other and Holland continues trying to attack off his back. De Ridder postures up and he lands a couple of elbows.
De Ridder settles into the guard before posturing up again. Big shots from De Ridder halfway through the round. Brief scramble and De Ridder gets his back. De Ridder is high on the back and Holland is trying to shake him off. De Ridder gets him down and he locks in the body triangle with 90 seconds left. He locks in the rear naked choke and Holland is forced to tap. Huge performance for RDR at UFC 311.
Reinier De Ridder def. Kevin Holland by Submission – Round 1