UFC Fight Night 173: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan - Predictions and Picks

#5 UFC Middleweight Division: Kevin Holland vs. Trevin Giles

Kevin Holland impressed in his most recent UFC appearance

When Holland quickly TKO’d Anthony Hernandez in May at one of the UFC’s Jacksonville shows, it looked like he’d become a sweetheart of the COVID-19 era. Just 14 days after that win, he decided to step up and take another late-notice UFC fight – only to be forced out with an injury.

‘Trailblazer’ returns here, hoping that the momentum he had following that Hernandez win hasn’t evaporated in the months that have followed. However, he’s not faced with an easy opponent by any means, as he's matched with the dangerous Trevin Giles.

Giles, like Holland, is a jack-of-all-trades type with skills in all areas. He came into the UFC at 9-0 with a win over the highly rated Ryan Spann, and two UFC wins quickly made him a prospect to watch. However, a pair of disappointing losses to Zak Cummings and Gerald Meerschaert derailed him before he bounced back at UFC 247 by outpointing James Krause.

Giles is a willing and powerful striker, even if he isn’t the most technical on the feet. His knockout of Antonio Braga Neto was highly impressive. In that sense, he’s very similar to Holland, who’s happy to trade with opponents for the most part and is dangerous if he decides to flurry on his foe.

Where the two men differ for me is on the ground. Giles is a fantastic grappler when he’s in a dominant position. He came close to submitting the tricky Meerschaert at times in fact. But he’s also almost too willing to get into extended scrambles, and that’s where he got caught by Meerschaert and Cummings – and also found himself in trouble against Krause.

Holland is more straightforward on the ground, but he’s got the skills to submit opponents, so could he take advantage of a mistake from the wilder Giles? It’s definitely possible. But there’s also the chance that Giles manages to get hold of him and locks up a submission of his own.

This might be the trickiest fight on the entire card to pick as both men are so closely matched. I think Giles has more potential in terms of reaching the top of the UFC, but Holland’s experience, size and all-round skills might allow him to get the job done here. This could go either way.

The Pick: Holland via split decision