Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
Kevin Holland was the recipient of a huge opportunity to face No. 4 Middleweight contender, Jack Hermansson, in the main event of UFC Vegas 16 — which is set to go down on Dec. 5, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada — after Darren Till bowed out with an injury.
Holland — who isn’t ranked in the Top 15 — isn’t short on confidence, saying that if he touches “The Joker” with his right hand he will be counting stars, giving him the biggest win of his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) career to date.
“The straight right hand,” Holland told MMA Junkie. “If I touch Jack enough times with that straight right hand, he will go to sleep. Or my elbow, or my left hand. It’s like, don’t get it mistaken, I’m not going to put it in my head because then I’ll go out there and try to do it, but I can submit Jack. Don’t ever get it twisted. I’m well-rounded. If Jack gets me to the ground and somehow gets the win that way, we all know that’s the way to win,” he added.
On the flip side of the coin, “Trail Blazer” says he hasn’t seen anything from Hermansson that indicates he can do the same to him because he won’t make the same mistakes that Jack’s past foes have made.
“You’re not gonna hit me and put me to sleep, you’re not gonna outstrike me, you’re not gonna do a lot of those things that you might do to somebody else. I’m not ‘Jacare,’ I’m not David Branch, I’m not none of those other guys.
“The right hand will be the sniper. The one utility belt will be the right hand. If I throw anything at him with the right hand enough times, he will fall, mark my words.”
Hermansson has shown to have a well-rounded attack, winning four of his UFC bouts via knockout, with three more coming by way of submission which includes a 78-second finish over Kelvin Gastelum via heel hook at UFC Fight Island 2 (see it here).
Holland, meanwhile, has been on a tear since making his way into the promotion via the “Contender Series,” earning a 7-2 mark which includes his current four-fight win streak, three via knockout. A victory over Hermansson gets him one step closer to making into the rankings, as well as removes one more hurdle for his quest to get his hands on current Middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya.
For more on UFC Vegas 16 click here.