"He didn't tap", "That arm is toast" - MMA pros react to Kevin Holland snapping Michal Oleksiejczuk's bone in nasty armbar

Kevin Holland's return to middleweight was dramatic, ending with a gruesome technical submission victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302.

The fight, which took place on the main card of the event held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, saw a quick exchange of strikes early on. Oleksiejczuk landed a heavy left hook that dropped Holland, sending a scare through the crowd. However, Holland displayed remarkable resilience, transitioning to an armbar as Oleksiejczuk swarmed in for the finish.

The armbar was locked tight, and Holland appeared to be applying significant pressure. Oleksiejczuk, in a display of incredible toughness, refused to tap out. This led to a horrifying scene as the pressure continued, with a sickening crack audible as Oleksiejczuk's arm appeared to give way. Referee Herb Dean, recognizing the severity of the situation, immediately intervened and stopped the fight at 1:34 of the first round.

Check out the Kevin Holland's armbar below:

The gruesome scene sparked immediate reactions from the MMA community, with fighters taking to social media to express their thoughts:

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani wrote:

"How does that fight not get stopped at least 5 seconds earlier? What was Herb looking at?! He’s right there. Sheesh."

Top lightweight contender Michael Chandler wrote:

"Yeah that arm is toast."

Middleweight contender Chris Curtis echoed the sentiment in a sarcastic tone, writing:

"Man really subbed himself."

UFC veteran Michael Bisping acknowledged Oleksiejczuk's grit while highlighting the unusual ending:

"He didn't tap though..."

Check out some of the reactions below:

MMA community reacts to Kevin Holland's armbar attempt

This victory marks a turnaround for Holland, who had lost his previous two fights. He improves his middleweight record to 9-4, adding to his 4-4 welterweight record. Oleksiejczuk, on the other hand, extends his losing streak to two fights, bringing his record to 19-8 overall.