Kevin Holland reveals the two strongest opponents he's faced in the UFC

Kevin Holland recently opened up and shared his opinion on the two strongest fighters he's faced under the UFC banner. Both are now competing in a higher division than him.

'Trailblazer' has been in the UFC since his short-notice call-up in 2018 and has been a fan favorite ever since. Supporters are accustomed to seeing 'Big Mouth' in the octagon, as the Texas native has fought an unbelievable 15 times during his four years with the promotion.

While answering a handful of questions in an interview with MMA Junkie, Kevin Holland gave insight into who he considers to be the strongest opponents he's fought throughout his time in the sport:

"I don't know, Thiago Santos probably. Yeah, Thiago Santos. He's a f***ing dog, dude's a monster. [Marvin] Vettori was strong. Vettori was strong as shit. Drug test that guy three times a week, he was strong as hell. So, Vettori and Thiago Santos have to be the strongest guys I've ever fought."

Thiago Santos matched up against and earned a decision victory over Holland back at UFC 227 on August 4, 2018. The Brazilian's win here was his first of four in a row which ultimately led to him receiving a title shot against Jon Jones.

The 29-year-old met his second strongest competitor, Marvin Vettori, inside the cage on April 10, 2021. Despite falling to back-to-back decision losses to the Italian and Derek Brunson, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt didn't lose stock with the fans.

Check out what Kevin Holland had to say regarding his past fights in the video below:

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What's next for Kevin Holland?

A TKO win over Alex Oliveira and a second-round submission of Tim Means has seen Holland enjoy a spectacular 2022 thus far. So, what's next for the welterweight?

When he's not stopping criminals in their tracks, the 31-fight MMA veteran is keen on staying active in the sport. Although he remains unranked, a fight against top 15 opposition next looks likely.

Rumors suggest that Nate Diaz, Stephen Thompson, and Sean Brady could be next for the former two-division XKO champion. However, all three look unlikely for the striker at this time.

If the UFC wants to ease him through the 170lbs weight class, potential clashes with Neil Magny and Michel Pereira could prove to be challenging ranked matchups. Kevin Holland could also face one of the many killers that are positioned outside of the top 15 in his division.