Kevin Holland is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was born on November 5, 1992, in Riverside, California, and began his MMA career in 2015. Holland began his professional MMA career in 2015 and compiled an impressive record of 12-3 before joining the UFC in 2018. Since then, he’s also become famous for several heroic crime-preventions outside of his MMA career.
Holland has also become a popular option for sports bettors. MMA is seen as unique for bettors on platforms such as betJACK.com due to its extreme unpredictable yet skill-based competition. Even the most dominant fighters can be upset by a skilled opponent, which means there are always opportunities for underdogs to pull off an upset and for bettors to win big. Furthermore, the limited variables and the combination of a fun range of bet provide a great opportunity for bettors and fans to stay engaged throughout year-round.
However, the future for bets on Holland are currently uncertain. Despite being on a victory trail during 2022, Holland is on two fight losing skid following defeats by Khamzat Chimaev and Stephen Thompson at the end of 2022. In the match-up against Khamzat, Holland lost by submission after the very first round through a d’Arce choke, and in the highly anticipated fight against Thompson Holland retired ahead of the fifth round due to a hand injury. The injury was sustained already in the first round, when he broke his hand in three places following an offensive hit.
The successful Duracell bunny
During his relatively short professional fighting career, Holland has managed to maintain a 23-9 record, with only one NC. He’s currently fighting in the welterweight class, although he has also competed in the middleweight class. He is also known as one of the most active fighters, having competed in 17 UFC fights since his debut in 2018 with 10 wins and 1 no contest.
Holland is known for his unorthodox striking and high-volume offense. He has a long reach and is very athletic, which allows him to land strikes from a distance and move around the cage with ease. He is also a proficient wrestler and has good takedown defense, with a strong karate technique and a black belt in jiu-jitsu. However, one of Holland’s biggest weaknesses is his tendency to talk and showboating during fights, which can distract him from his game plan and lead to costly mistakes. He has also struggled with his grappling defense in the past and has lost fights due to submission.
The reluctant superhero
Recently, it isn’t only his performance in the ring which has brought Holland headlines. Instead, he’s been named a “superhero” for several civil acts of kindness and crime prevention. For example, he helped a driver get out of an 18-wheeler that had flipped over on the highway, and another time he stopped a perfume thief. Yet another time, he apprehended a gun man at a sushi restaurant.
In an interview with MMA Fighting, Holland commented on his recent acts of heroism, and stated that “It’d be nice if people were like, ‘I’m proud of you for doing the right thing,’ instead of, ‘He’s a superhero.’” His reasoning focused on the people who were traumatized by the situations, such as developing PTSD for eating out because of a gunman, etc.
Retirement? Uncertain future awaits
One of the biggest discussions surrounding the California fighter is the question of his retirement. Despite being only 30, Holland has hinted at retirement at several occasions, including a promise to retire if Khamzat Chimaev wins the 85-weight championship. Despite claiming that his retirement claims are “serious as hell”, fans have waved the statements off as simply trolling.
However, with his hand injury from the December Thompson match-up and number of defeats on his trail, who knows what 2023 will bring fans of the Trailblazer. As of right now, he is still scheduled to fight Santiago Ponzinibbio on April 9 at UFC 287 in Miami, FL.
