Mouthy middleweight up-and-comer Kevin Holland may be new to the wrestling game, but he’s a seasoned pro when it comes to acting like an asshole.
Just ask UFC President Dana White.
That’s why “Trailblazer” is prepared to reclaim his swagger after beating Kyle Daukaus on Oct. 2 in Las Vegas. Holland has been trying to make grappling “second nature” by training with former UFC champs Daniel Cormier and Johny Hendricks.
“If I fix the wrestling hole, I don’t see too many gaps,” Holland told reporters at UFC 265. “Just get better, and everything else will work itself out. As long as all these guys say I’m doing better, I’m a happy camper. I can be a sponge right now and after I get this ‘W,’ I can go back to being a complete asshole.”
Holland, 28, cut his teeth on Season 2 of Dana White’s “Contender Series” and jumped out to an electric 8-2 start inside the Octagon. Unfortunately for “Trailblazer,” getting pushed around by Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori sent him to consecutive losses for the first time in his UFC career.
“I used to be real stubborn,” Holland continued. “I didn’t want to work with anybody unless it was Travis (Lutter) when it came to grappling, and then after realizing I’m not as good at grappling as I thought, I was like, ‘Okay, bring Johny over here,’ so it’s been amazing. Johny is a really, really good coach. I think Johny will be a big, big part of the camp moving forward.”
The results will speak for themselves on Oct. 2.