![Kevin Holland reveals reason behind not taking Nick Diaz fight. [Image courtesy: @nickdiaz209 on Instagram; Getty Images]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/05/b29bb-17170490635375-1920.jpg)
![Kevin Holland reveals reason behind not taking Nick Diaz fight. [Image courtesy: @nickdiaz209 on Instagram; Getty Images]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Kevin Holland has revealed he was offered the chance to fight Nick Diaz in his comeback fight before the UFC finalized the matchup with Vicente Luque.
Holland explained during a media day interview for UFC 302 that the UFC approached him with the Diaz fight, but the timing didn't work for him:
“I was supposed to take a fight at 170 against a pretty big-name opponent. But they said he wasn’t going to be able to fight until August and I said, ‘Damn, that’s a long time.’ And they’re like, ‘Bro, it’s only an extra month.’ And I was like, ‘Nah, that’s too long,' So I got this, and I’m happy with it. I guess that [othe] fight is not going to circle back because I see he just got booked, so let’s see what happens after.” [H/t: MMA Junkie]
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Catch Kevin Holland's appearance at UFC 302 media day below:
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Holland will instead face Michal Oleksiejczuk on the upcoming UFC 302 card on June 1. Nick Diaz will look to reignite his career against Luque on August 3 in Abu Dhabi.
Kevin Holland backs Islam Makhachev for future welterweight title
Kevin Holland declared Islam Makhachev a shoo-in for future welterweight champion status, even calling him a more dangerous threat than former lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Holland heaped praise on Makhachev's well-rounded skillset. Makhachev, currently dominating the lightweight division with 13 straight wins, recently secured back-to-back title defenses with a knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski.
Prior to his upcoming fight at UFC 302, Holland spoke to the media about Makhachev's impressive skillset:
"[Makhachev would be] champ, for sure, for sure. I think Khabib [Nurmagomedov] could have did the same thing if he wanted to. So yeah, for sure...And I think Islam's [Makhachev] probably a little bit more scarier to deal with...He knocked out 'Volk'...I don't think an easy person to put away...Scary, scary guy right there."
Check out Kevin Holland's comments below:
