Fight fans weren’t sure what to make of two separate altercations between Kevin Holland and Jorge Masvidal this week leading up to UFC 287 later tonight (Sat., April 8, 2023) live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Fla., but “Trailblazer” was kind enough to detail their feud in an interview Friday night.
Earlier this week, Holland and Masvidal first made headlines with an altercation in a hotel lobby. Security and team members were on the scene so it was more a chest-puffing match than anything, but the entire thing caught the mixed martial arts (MMA) community off guard. Holland does talk a lot and is no stranger to pre-fight melees, but nobody knew of any real beef between the two teams.
On Friday morning, Holland and Masvidal reportedly got into it again outside of UFC 287’s official weigh ins (watch HERE). Holland apparently provoked Masvidal into a fit of rage that saw “Gamebred” pacing outside on the street for minutes. Once again, fight fans were confused.
Luckily, Holland was able to shed some light on the situation during an interview with The Schmo following UFC 287’s ceremonial weigh ins (results HERE). According to “Trailblazer,” their feud dates back to his last trip to Florida at a random MMA event.
“I guess a while back when I fought in Florida I was fighting Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Somehow, someway, somebody said I was going to the event to cause problems,” explained Holland. “I was really going to the event to see a honey I was talking to at the time. Just really chill with her because she couldn’t make it to my dinner. Somehow, someway, it turned out to be another story. I don’t really give a f—k.
“Now all of a sudden dude’s got feelings. So when I seen him I said, ‘What’s up, baby girl?’ Next thing you know he started Pmsing. I don’t really think it’s that special of a story to keep underneath the rug or maybe they’re just trying to use it for another time, but shit you’re my man so now you know.”
There you have it. Not the biggest news of the week, but at least fight fans have some context to all of these incidents involving Masvidal and Holland. Luckily, both fighters compete in the UFC’s welterweight division so they could book a matchup next if they really want to settle this beef.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 287 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 287: “Pereira vs. Adesanya 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 287 fight card and PPV lineup click here.