“I don’t respect that. I think that’s pretty dumb.”
It’s one thing to troll and call out a professional fighter online, and it’s another thing to actually show up when challenged back. And more often than not, the troll will get some form of respect just for showing up, regardless if they get badly beaten up in the process.
This exact scenario was something UFC fighter Kevin Holland dealt with recently, when a random individual consistently pestered him online, looking for a fight. “Trailblazer” (a.k.a “Big Mouth”) finally obliged, paid for the young man’s hotel and meal when he got to Texas and sparred with him. As expected, it didn’t turn out well for the guy.
Vs how it’s going….
1 troll down, way too many more to go! #CallBigMouth pic.twitter.com/clypr4Lqwq— Kevin Holland (@Trailblaze2top) January 29, 2022
Holland recently spoke with ESPN’s Marc Raimondi about the now-viral video, how it happened, along with some behind-the-scenes details. He was then asked if he’d developed a newfound respect for the individual just for showing up, and this was his response.
“No respect. Respect if you learn from the situation. Respect if you show up to the gym and my coach doesn’t feel like you’re a complete dipstick. I’ll respect you then,” Holland explained.
“But, no. Just because you pull up, you don’t get respect. Any dummy will pull up to a stupid situation. You never know what could happen to you. You’re going out of town, out of state, somebody else’s territory that you’ve been talking crap about… you don’t know what could happen to you.
“So, no. No respect. I don’t respect that. I think that’s pretty dumb.”
The 29-year-old Holland (21-7, 1 NC) will return to action as a welterweight against veteran Alex Oliveira at UFC 272. The event takes place on March 5th in Las Vegas.