Kevin Holland-Derek Brunson to headline UFC Fight Night in March
A high-profile middleweight tilt between 2020 breakout Kevin Holland and Derek Brunson will headline UFC Fight Night on March 20, sources told ESPN.
Contracts have not yet been signed, but both sides have agreed to the five-round headliner. The UFC has not yet announced a location for the event.
Holland (21-5) is coming off a sensational knockout of former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo Jacare Souza at UFC 256 on Dec. 12. The 28-year-old became the first middleweight in UFC history to record five victories in a single calendar year in 2020. He recorded finishes in all but one of the five wins. He also called out Brunson, following his most recent win.
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UFC middleweight contender Kevin Holland was not impressed by a recent comment from former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw.
Dillashaw ruled over the UFC bantamweight division for several years, but was stripped of that title in early 2019, after he tested positive for the injectable-only performance-enhancing drug Erythropoietin (EPO). The former champion’s indiscretion caused him to be suspended for two years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, but that suspension will soon be over.
As Dillashaw’s suspension nears its conclusion, he’s been called out by several top-ranked bantamweights, most recently Jose Aldo and Rob Font. Speaking on Twitter over the weekend, Dillashaw suggested that he’s being called out because his rivals still consider him the true bantamweight champion. That remark drew the ire of many members of the MMA community, most notably Holland.
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At UFC 256, middleweight contender Kevin Holland scored his biggest win yet. Now he’s expressed his interest in beating up Derek Brunson… but not for any reason you might assume.
Throughout Holland’s still young career, he’s become somewhat of a knockout artist with 11 of his 21 victories coming via that finishing variation. By watching him in action, one can undeniably see he’s a striking showman.
Fresh off of a stunning knockout of Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, a familiar opponent to Brunson, Holland managed to put away the Brazilian with punches from his back. Therefore securing him an extra $50,000 as he picked up a performance of the night bonus along with the win.
(via @TSN Sports)”
Along with the dynamic duo, heavyweight Ciryl Gane catapulted himself up seven spots after defeating former champion Junior Dos Santos via second-round TKO. The undefeated 7-0 Frenchman now seemingly seems poised for yet another big fight in his next time out.
When it comes to Oliveira, UFC President Dana White told it how it was at the UFC 256 post-fight presser. Saying that the BJJ black belt was “without a doubt one of the top three guys in the world right now,” and come Tuesday White’s words came true on paper.
Having been a competitor in the UFC for a full decade now, the 30-8 “Do Bronx” is on the best run of his career with eight wins in a row. The first seven of those all coming by way of finish (five submissions, two TKO/KOs).