"Whoever wins that fight kind of goes from pretender to contender" - Brendan Schaub names the matchup most likely to win 'Fight of the Night' honors at UFC 279

Brendan Schaub has named the matchup he believes would win ‘Fight of the Night’ honors at UFC 279 on September 10. In an edition of The Schaub Show, the former UFC heavyweight asserted that he’s excited about the catchweight (180-pound) bout between welterweight competitors Kevin Holland and Daniel Rodriguez.

Praising the 29-year-old Holland and the 35-year-old Rodriguez, ‘Big Brown’ predicted that their clash is likely to be awarded ‘Fight of the Night’ at UFC 279. Schaub stated:

“The best fight, most competitive fight, stylistically, matchup-wise, technique-wise, age-wise is Kevin Holland versus Daniel Rodriguez. That’s your 'Fight of the Night.'”

In addition, Schaub alluded to the fact that UFC 279 features other exciting matchups too – including the welterweight headliner between Khamzat Chimaev and Nate Diaz, as well as the welterweight co-headliner between Li Jingliang and Tony Ferguson.

Schaub indicated that Diaz and Ferguson are underdogs in their respective fights but have a penchant for getting into back-and-forth wars and earning ‘Fight of the Night’ honors. Regardless, he predicted Holland vs. Rodriguez stealing the show at UFC 279.

Furthermore, Schaub opined that although their fight won't be contested at welterweight, the Holland-Rodriguez winner will solidify himself as a bona fide welterweight contender. ‘Big Brown’ said:

“This fight is at catchweight, 180, because it was a short-notice fight for both fighters...people are like, ‘Oh, catchweight. Does it stop the surge of whoever wins this fight?’ No, because we know that at 180 and short notice, we’re getting the best out of both guys...Whoever wins that fight kind of goes from pretender to contender”.

Watch Schaub discuss the topic at 33:48 in the video below:

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Kevin Holland is at crossroads heading into UFC 279 fight against Daniel Rodriguez

Kevin Holland amassed a five-fight win streak in 2020 and tied the record for the highest number of UFC wins in a calendar year, joining Roger Huerta and Neil Magny. However, his momentum came to a crashing halt in 2021, courtesy of back-to-back defeats against Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori.

This was followed by a NC (No Contest) against Kyle Daukaus, following which Kevin Holland moved down from middleweight to welterweight. Presently, Holland’s on a two-fight win streak.

Many believe that ‘Trailblazer’s UFC 279 fight against Rodriguez is a crossroads matchup for the fan-favorite striker. The consensus is that a win over ‘D-Rod’ could catapult Holland into high-profile matchups at welterweight. However, a loss would be a huge setback for him in his quest to capture the UFC welterweight title.