Kevin Holland is cosy to be getting bigger fights, five-spherical fights, and predominant match fights.
At a UFC Fight Night match on March 20, Holland (21-5 MMA, 8-2 UFC) will compete in his first UFC headliner towards longtime middleweight contender Derek Brunson.
Whereas he recognizes Brunson’s historical past of stopping rising stars cherish UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and frail champion Robert Whittaker sooner than they acquired championship gold, Holland indicated he sees the matchup as lackluster and low-reward.
“I appropriate hate that Brunson is my first predominant match,” Holland advised MMA Junkie on Thursday. “I mean, the storyline is appropriate. It’s cold. Every part is good there. I’m having relaxing with him online. He’s form of constructing me gain pleasure from that it is some distance him. But on the same time, Brunson? He’s form of the gatekeeper. He’s every other one year older. It modified into appropriate his birthday. This, that, and so forth., and so forth., and so forth.
“It’s cherish, beat Brunson, there are going to be 1,000 excuses why you beat Brunson, too. A predominant match towards anyone without a excuses? That would possibly per chance per chance’ve been ideal. The predominant match, beating Brunson, and there’s going to be a thousand excuses once I beat, him? Ooh. Icy.”
Holland, who fought five situations over the final seven months of 2020, has stayed stuffed with life when healthy. Ready three months in between fights is territory he hasn’t charted for a whereas. If a immediate-witness opportunity arises in the upcoming weeks, Holland will elevate his hand.
“I’m healthy,” Holland acknowledged. “As quickly as they got here back to the Apex, I figured that would possibly per chance per chance be gigantic. If the boss needs March, I’ll recall March. If anything happens in between (that) time and they need anyone to step up into one thing. I’ll construct that and I’ll silent construct Brunson in March.”
In preparation, Holland has already planned out one sequence he thinks would possibly per chance per chance happen in the fight – an unorthodox one. Holland has three knockout wins on his UFC resume and is looking for to construct it four with a “knockout of the century.”
“If I will be capable of time his favorite combo appropriate, it couldn’t be five rounds,” Holland acknowledged. “I’m in fact making ready for five, so we’ll see the design it goes. I in actuality possess deal of time to prepare, so I wants to be extra than gigantic. I’ve obtained a chain. If I trail his jab, roll his overhand, and then hit him with a appropriate hip thrust whereas he goes for a takedown, I’ll knock him out with my cojones. That appropriate there would possibly per chance per chance be a knockout for the century.”
Brunson, 37, has been with the UFC since 2012. Since his debut, he’s competed towards a who’s who of the middleweight division and has headlined a couple of playing cards. With an impressive wrestling assault, Brunson has been ready, at situations, to govern his opponents when the fight hits the mat.
Holland hopes Brunson retains the grappling to a minimum on March 20.
“He says I will be capable of’t battle, so I will be capable of’t battle,” Holland acknowledged. “We’ll see when that evening comes. I appropriate pray that he doesn’t strive to hunch for a elephantine 25 minutes. Ideal give me five minutes of striking, Brunson. Ideal five minutes. That’s all I seek files from you. In the event you give me five minutes of striking, I’ll provide you 20 minutes of humping.”
If all goes per his conception and he wins, Holland thinks a title eliminator fight would possibly per chance per chance be on the horizon. At the least that is what he’s taken away from historical past.
“The historical past of the 185-pound division over the past couple of years has been, ‘Beat Brunson, gain a title shot,’” Holland acknowledged. “So yeah, I judge (a title eliminator would possibly per chance per chance be next).
