UFC Fight Night wrap-up: Holland lets a big chance go
Many possible paths were found for the main event of UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Holland. The experienced Brunson was put in the cage to stop the birth of a new up-and-comer. Holland, known for his 5-0 record in 2020 and his endless “trash talk” in the octagon, could have been one win away from a title shot down the road. Had Holland been able to defeat Brunson with one of his signature clinches, the sky would have been the limit.
On Saturday night in Las Vegas, the former guard dominated the bout with a dominating display that exposed Holland’s limitations. Brunson’s canvas strategy was blistering, and he earned a unanimous decision victory and a shot at a top opponent in his next bout.
Prior to the all-star bout, Fight Night was all about KO’s, as there were six fights that ended before the final bell, one of them at 4:59 of the third round. Dawson’s last-second fist gave him the win and showed everyone that his new division is the right place to stay.
When all was said and done, in his first headlining fight, Holland provided a couple of amusing social media situations, but he lost virtually every round. There’s a fine line between being funny, asking Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was ringside, how to defend against a takedown, and being obnoxious. Holland has a lot of potential, in every sense of the words. A lot. That’s what made Saturday’s performance so discouraging. Most people see talent and want to see it developed. And Holland didn’t do that in this fight.
On the other hand, Brunson should be commended for staying the course and doing his job. Brunson has been hard to draw fans in and honestly, this is not the performance that will do it. But the guy has earned respect and the right to face an opponent superior to him in his next fight after defeating challengers Holland and Edmen Shahbazyan. Brunson has challenged Paulo Costa, precisely, and that’s a fight that makes sense to me.
After the fight, Holland commented on a likely move to 170 pounds, which actually could be excellent news. I don’t like athletes losing weight, however, Holland’s desire to cut weight implies a lot of discipline. If, in fact, he does, there is an unlimited amount of possibilities for him. Welterweight is full of entertaining bouts from a style standpoint.
