UFC 316: 'I just like beating people up,' says Kevin Holland ahead of Vicente Luque fight
This weekend's Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will see one of its most active fighters enter the ring at the Prudential Centre in New Jersey.
Veteran Kevin Holland will share the cage with fellow old-timer Vicente Luque in a welterweight bout on Sunday. The event will be headlined by the bantamweight title bout between reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley.
Holland, who equalled the record of most fights (5) in a year back in 2020, will be back in action for his third fight of 2025.
The mantra behind being active is simple for Holland. 'It doesn't matter if the fight is pay-per-view or fight night; I'm just happy to get out there and put one out for the people,' the 32-year-old said in an interaction with Sportstar.
'I'm annoying, and the matchmakers know it. So, they just book me before I get annoyed,' he added.
From Khamzat Chimaev to current division champion Jack Della Maddalena, Holland has seen it all in his division.
His upcoming challenge is expected to be extremely challenging.
With 20 finishes in 23 wins, Luque could pose a strong threat to Holland, who has an equally impressive 22 finishes in 27 bouts. 'For me, all the fighters are the same. We think about them one way, but they get grapple heavy. So, I'm ready for his grappling, and his are pretty understandable, and I'll be careful about that as well,' Holland said.
'Don't think it'll be hard, and hopefully I've prepared right. I've been doing this for a long time. Regardless of the changes we make during training, what is important is to make changes on the fly inside the cage,' he added.
Holland has been in and out of the top 15 rankings of his division, and three losses in his last five bouts meant he was pushed out of the table. A win would put him back into the top 15, paving the way for a shot at the belt.
However, Holland emphasises that the UFC is much more than just numbers. 'For me, all wins are important, and I don't really stress on numbers. I just like beating people up. I'll just show up looking to win,' he concluded.
Streaming information
Watch the UFC 316 - Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2 on 8th June 2025 at 7:30 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu).
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