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Kevin Holland is one of the UFC's rising stars. He is an exciting action fighter with devastating punching power and 16 wins by knockout. For years, 'Trailblazer' plied his trade at both welterweight and middleweight. However, prior to his recent return to the welterweight division, Holland spent most of his UFC career facing middleweights.
While he performed admirably, his lanky build rendered him undersized against the larger middleweights, leading to lopsided losses to Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori. He was neither submitted nor knocked out, but he was easily controlled on the ground, prompting Holland to reinforce his wrestling by spending time at AKA training with Daniel Cormier.
However, 'Trailblazer' has since returned to the welterweight division and is now on a 2 fight win streak over Alex Oliveira and Tim Means. While Kevin Holland is currently ranked outside the welterweight top 15, his improved defensive grappling and thundering knockout power render him a threat to any foe.
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In his new division, there are plenty of opponents against whom Holland can test his skills. This list compiles 5 ideal opponents for Kevin Holland's next welterweight bout.
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#5. Michel Pereira
Michel Pereira is one of the welterweight division's resident wild men. He is well-known for his dazzling, high-octane offensive striking in the octagon, where his chaotic fighting style even sees him backflip into his opponent's guard.
Pereira is an exciting sight every time he steps into the cage, and given his current ranking as the #15 welterweight in the world, he would serve as an ideal opponent for Kevin Holland if the latter wishes to establish himself in the top 15 of the division.
A fight between the two would act as a good stepping stone for 'Trailblazer' on his return to the 170lb division. Furthermore, the bout is guaranteed to entertain fight fans around the world and is a versatile matchup capable of being the main event of a Fight Night card or an important fight to help stack the main card of a future pay-per-view event.
#4. Michael Chiesa
The most glaring hole in Kevin Holland's skill-set appears to be his defensive grappling and anti-wrestling. Thus far, very few foes have managed to best the former middleweight in striking exchanges, leading many of his opponents to impose wrestling gameplans against him with immense success.
Derek Brunson struggled to contend with Holland's range and speed despite his own vaunted knockout power.
What won Brunson the fight was the ease with which he was able to secure takedowns against 'Trailblazer', allowing him to cruise to a comfortable decision win.
If Holland has indeed made the strides he claims to have made with his wrestling and grappling, there is no better option for him to test his mettle against than Michael Chiesa. Chiesa is only 2 inches shorter than Holland and is a determined grappler with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The matchup will be both challenging and realistic for Kevin Holland as he'd be facing a strong wrestler without aiming too high up the rankings.
#3. Nick Diaz
The last time fans saw Nick Diaz in the octagon was in an uninspiring performance against Robbie Lawler at UFC 266.
The older Diaz brother looked like a shell of his former self, and many eagerly expressed their confidence in never wanting to see Diaz fight again after witnessing his first-ever retirement to strikes. However, the Stockton legend recently made waves by outlining his desire to face reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
While the UFC would never book such a lopsided matchup, least of all given Diaz's previous struggles against wrestlers, if the former Strikeforce world champion is eager to fight out the remaining fight on his UFC contract, Kevin Holland is an ideal foe.
Holland is slowly garnering a cult following in MMA due to his heroics outside the cage and his exciting performances in it. While he may never become a world champion, a fight with Nick Diaz would do wonders for his career. Not only would it be the biggest payday of Holland's life, but the rub he'd get from besting one of the UFC's older stars would introduce him to the casual MMA fanbase, potentially building him up as a mid-level star for the promotion.
#2. Jorge Masvidal
A matchup between Kevin Holland and Jorge Masvidal might seem unlikely at first, but it is more realistic now than it has ever been.
At the moment, neither fighter is anywhere close to the elite in their division. 'Trailblazer' has only recently returned to the welterweight division and must prove himself against a new crop of fighters in the top 15. 'Gamebred', on the other hand, has not won a fight since 2019.
His last victory came against Nate Diaz, who has also not won a fight since 2019 as well. Instead, Masvidal suffered back-to-back losses to Kamaru Usman before dropping a lopsided decision against former friend Colby Covington.
The losses have removed the shine from the BMF title holder, with fighters ranked as low Michel Pereira calling for a bout with him. This likely reflects Masvidal's current standing in the division. Furthermore, there is a potential narrative that the UFC can build around a matchup between Kevin Holland and 'Gamebred'.
Holland has attracted considerable attention for his heroics outside the octagon, while Masvidal has garnered criticism for his criminal assault on Colby Covington. The UFC has never been above using a fighter's real-life legal issues to promote a bout. It would be wise to try and extract as much value from Masvidal as they still can by having him potentially give the rub to Holland in a matchup that can easily be a PPV co-main event.
#1. Nate Diaz
Kevin Holland recently expressed an interest in facing both Nate and Nick Diaz. Both Stockton natives have only one fight left on their respective UFC contracts, with the younger Diaz brother showcasing an eagerness to pursue other ventures like boxing Jake Paul.
While the UFC's initial plan to have Nate Diaz lock horns with Khamzat Chimaev fell through the cracks, a bout with Kevin Holland is one that is far more likely to entice him.
The former lightweight has historically shown his disdain for wrestlers, culminating in his well-known disinterest in facing opponents who are likely to actively pursue takedowns against him.
'Trailblazer' is no such fighter. He would engage Diaz in a standup war while answering every single one of his verbal taunts in kind. The bout would be the exciting exit that the former lightweight contender deserves from the UFC, while transferring his star power to Kevin Holland in the event of a likely win for the latter.
