In the headliner of UFC Orlando, we are going to see a battle between two fan favorites in the welterweight division. Former title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-6-1) fights for the first time in almost a year when he takes on Kevin Holland (23-8).
Wonderboy is looking to snap a two-fight losing streak. The last two fights for Wonderboy have come against guys who have taken advantage of him in the wrestling department. Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns leaned heavy on their wrestling to defeat Wonderboy.
He wanted the UFC to give him a striker and he found himself an opponent in a similar spot. Kevin Holland is coming off a quick loss to Khamzat Chimaev. The fight was put together the day of the UFC 279 weigh-ins after Chimaev horribly missed weight for his main event.
Holland took the fight and was submitted in the first round. In reality, that fight can be thrown out in terms of Holland’s standing at 170. He’s won back-to-back fights at welterweight and he’s looking for the biggest win of his UFC career tomorrow night.
UFC Orlando Prediction
I’m so pumped for this fight and I think that we are going to see a very high level striking matchup. For Wonderboy, you know what he’s going to be throwing. He’s going to be using his kicks a lot to try and stop Kevin Holland from getting off his boxing combinations.
Holland can match the length of Wonderboy, but he has to overcome the kicking range. If this fight stays in boxing range, I love Kevin Holland in this matchup. I just like his hand speed and his power. That being said, Wonderboy is one of the more technical strikers in UFC history and Holland can be hit.
If Holland isn’t sharp defensively, Wonderboy will be able to tag him. I think we see a back-and-forth fight, but consistently, Holland will do more damage which will lead to a decision win.
Prediction: Kevin Holland by Decision