Latest news with #KevinHolland
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
UFC's most active fighter Kevin Holland: ‘So many fights I don't remember'
The UFC 's most active fighter Kevin Holland has admitted that he 'doesn't remember' some of his fights as he prepares to once again return to the Octagon next month. Holland faces Vicente Luque on June 7, his 21st fight for the UFC since 2020, which makes him the promotion's most regular competitor over the past five years. A fan favourite due to his activity and charismatic personality, Holland equalled the record for most UFC wins in a calendar year back in 2020 - managing five fights and winning all of them. "My whole career I've always been pretty active,' he told BBC Sport. 'You're an athlete, you can't be an athlete for 40 years, you can only be it for so long. So take advantage and wish for the best. "Between super matches in jiu jitsu, Muay Thai, MMA, I'd fight seven to eight times a year. I've always fought a lot, never really sit on my butt too much. "I've had so many fights I don't remember none of them." Holland last fought at UFC London back in March, beating Gunnar Nelson by decision to return to winning ways, two months after being finished in the first round by Reinier de Ridder. Bouncing back from defeat is seemingly what Holland is best at, saying he barely needs any time to rest and recuperate before returning to the cage. "As soon as I was healthy to go it's straight back in the gym,' he added. 'It's simple, I like to stay in there and stay active. "I don't really need much time in between fights, two days is typically all a man needs." Luque, ranked 14th at welterweight, will be his third bout of 2025, with Holland eyeing a potential return to the top 15 with a win. However, Holland does not look too far into the future when it comes to his fighting career, taking things one bout at a time. "I'm just focused on one thing only, and that's the fight coming up," he said. "Treat MMA like a real job. Respect and appreciate it, listen to your coaches, and put the grind in. Don't listen to the critics, listen to the coaches."
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'So many fights I don't remember' - UFC's most active fighter
UFC veteran Kevin Holland is once again preparing to return to the octagon as he faces Vicente Luque on 7 out of Texas, Holland is known for his short turnarounds and his fight in New Jersey is no will be Holland's 21st fight for the UFC since 2020, making him the company's most active competitor during this made his UFC debut in 2018 - a decision loss against Thiago Santos - Holland catapulted to fame in 2020 because of his limited events because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Holland managed five fights throughout 2020 - winning all five and equalling the record for most UFC wins in a calendar some fighters, five bouts in a year simply isn't possible - but for 'The Trailblazer', this is nothing new."My whole career I've always been pretty active. You're an athlete, you can't be an athlete for 40 years, you can only be it for so long. So take advantage and wish for the best," he told BBC next fight will be his 41st professional bout in 10 years - on three occasions he has competed five or more times in a single year. "Between super matches in jiu jitsu, Muay Thai, MMA, I'd fight seven to eight times a year. I've always fought a lot, never really sit on my butt too much," he added."I've had so many fights I don't remember none of them." 'I don't really need much time between fights' Luque will be Holland's third UFC fight of 2025, most recently defeating Icelandic legend Gunnar Nelson in that, Holland suffered a disappointing first-round loss to Reinier de Ridder in January - just three months after he was pulled from a fight after suffering from a broken rib."I fought against De Ridder probably a little faster then I should've done. At the end of the day, you only learn from being in there. Experience is the best teacher and I tend to get quite a bit of experience," he said."As soon as I was healthy to go it's straight back in the gym. It's simple, I like to stay in there and stay active."I don't really need much time in between fights, two days is typically all a man needs." His constant fighting isn't the only reason for fame inside the UFC - his antics inside the cage have also won him a number of for speaking to his opponents while fighting, Holland most famously asked UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov for "wrestling advice" during an encounter with Derek Brunson in as he sits loading up his gaming console while sat in his Texas home, Holland admitted his history of talking inside the cage isn't just for entertainment purposes."My brain goes a lot of places. You ever heard of ADHD and stuff like that? It's not that fighting is boring, it's a fun sport, but there's a lot of things going through my brain at one time," he said."I'm talking to you, I'm still loading up on the game, I'm always doing 300 things at one time. I'm not good at focusing on one thing for too long." With Luque ranked 14th in the welterweight division, a win for Holland would likely bring him back into the top 15 of the gone through a tough run of form, this could come as a huge boost for Holland's future inside the when asked for advice, Holland admitted he doesn't look too far into the future."I'm just focused on one thing only, and that's the fight coming up," he said."Treat MMA like a real job. Respect and appreciate it, listen to your coaches, and put the grind in. "Don't listen to the critics, listen to the coaches."
USA Today
18-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Kevin Holland vs. Vicente Luque added to UFC 316 in Newark
Kevin Holland vs. Vicente Luque added to UFC 316 in Newark Another banger on paper has been added to the UFC's return to New Jersey in June. Kevin Holland (27-13 MMA, 14-10 UFC) is set to take on Vicente Luque (23-10-1 MMA, 16-6 UFC) in a welterweight showdown at UFC 316 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+), which is set for June 7 at Prudential Center in Newark. UFC officials announced the matchup Friday. UFC 316 is set to be headlined by a bantamweight title rematch between champ Merab Dvalishvili and former titleholder Sean O'Malley. In the co-feature, women's bantamweight champion Julianna Peña meets two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champ Kayla Harrison, who is a massive betting favorite in the fight as the challenger. The Holland-Luque placement on the card has not yet been revealed. Holland got back in the win column less than a month ago with a Performance of the Night bonus-winning victory over Gunnar Nelson. It was a rare time when a performance bonus was given to someone who won by decision. That snapped a two-fight skid of first-round stoppage losses for the 32-year-old Fortis MMA product against Reinier de Ridder and Roman Dolidze. Holland is one of the busiest fighters in the promotion. The bout against Luque will be his 12th in a three-year stretch. He has nine career post-fight bonuses, and has gotten one in each of his past three victories. Luque is coming off a bounce-back win, as well. This past December, he picked up a no-brainer post-fight bonus for a 52-second brutal anaconda choke submission of Themba Gorimbo at UFC 310. That got him back on the right side of things after a second-round TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley a little more than a year ago. Like Holland, Luque, 33, has nine career post-fight bonuses in the UFC. Although he's Brazilian, the Newark show is something of a homecoming for Luque – who actually was born in New Jersey. With the addition, the UFC 316 lineup now includes: Champ Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley – for bantamweight title Champ Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison – for women's bantamweight title Kevin Holland vs. Vicente Luque Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer Azamat Murzakanov vs. Johnny Walker Mario Bautista vs. Marlon Vera Shamil Gaziev vs. Serghei Spivac Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van Wang Cong vs. Ariane da Silva For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 316.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC Fight Night 255 post-event facts: Leon Edwards shut out – and tapped out
The UFC's annual stop in London went down Saturday with UFC Fight Night 255 at The O2, a card which saw eight of 13 bouts go to the scorecards. One fight that didn't reach the scorecards, however, was the main event. That's where Sean Brady (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) delivered the most emphatic performance of his career when he submitted former welterweight Leon Edwards (22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in the fourth round to place his name in title contention. For more on the numbers to come out of the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie's post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 255. * * * * UFC Fight Night 255: Official scorecards from London The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $204,000. Debuting fighters went 1-1 at the event. Brady, Kevin Holland, Alexia Thainara and Shauna Bannon earned $50,000 UFC Fight Night 255 fight-night bonuses. UFC Fight Night 255 drew an announced attendance of 18,583 for a live gate of $4,711,410. Betting favorites went 6-6 on the card. One fight had even odds. Betting favorites improved to 5-5 in UFC headliners this year. Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 2:53:15. Brady improved to 2-0 in UFC main events. Brady has earned all four of his UFC stoppage victories by submission. Edwards suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. Edwards suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with a submission defeat. Edwards landed zero strikes in two rounds during his loss. He's never been shut out in 66 previous UFC rounds prior to the fight. UFC Fight Night 255 results: Carlos Ulberg outpoints ex-champ Jan Blachowicz for 8th straight win Carlos Ulberg def. Jan Blachowicz at UFC Fight Night 255: Best photos Carlos Ulberg's (11-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) eight-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division. Jan Blachowicz's (29-11-1 MMA, 12-8-1 UFC) three-fight winless skid is the longest of his career. He hasn't earned a victory since May 2022. Blachowicz has suffered six of his eight UFC losses by decision. UFC Fight Night 255 results: Kevin Holland drops Gunnar Nelson early, wins hard-fought decision Kevin Holland def. Gunnar Nelson at UFC Fight Night 255: Best photos Holland (27-13 MMA, 14-10 UFC) improved to 5-3 since he dropped to the UFC welterweight division in March 2022. Holland's 14 UFC victories are the most by any fighter signed from Dana White's Contender Series. Gunnar Nelson (19-6-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) fell to 6-6 in his past 12 fights after starting his career on a 15-fight unbeaten streak. Nelson has suffered five of his six career losses by decision. UFC Fight Night 255 video: Molly McCann retires from MMA after Alexia Thainara's quick win Alexia Thainara def. Molly McCann at UFC Fight Night 255: Best photos Molly McCann (14-8 MMA, 7-7 UFC) retired from MMA after her loss. McCann fell to 1-2 since she dropped to the UFC strawweight division in February 2024. McCann has suffered all four of her UFC losses by submission. McCann's four submission losses in UFC women's competition are tied for second-most in company history behind Joanne Wood (five). UFC Fight Night 255 video: Chris Duncan submits Jordan Vucenic, calls out Terrance McKinney for UFC 314 Chris Duncan def. Jordan Vucenic at UFC Fight Night 255: Best photos Chris Duncan (13-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by stoppage. Jordan Vucenic (13-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) suffered the first stoppage loss of his career with a submission defeat. Nathaniel Wood def. Morgan Charriere at UFC Fight Night 255: Best photos Nathaniel Wood (22-6 MMA, 9-3 UFC) improved to 5-1 since he moved up to the featherweight division in July 2022. Morgan Charriere (20-11-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered 10 of his 11 career losses by decision. Lone'er Kavanagh def. Felipe dos Santos at UFC Fight Night 255: Best photos Lone'er Kavanagh (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by decision. Felipe dos Santos (8-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) has suffered all three of his career losses by decision. Marcin Tybura def. Mick Parkin at UFC Fight Night 255: Best photos5: Best photos Marcin Tybura's (27-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) 14 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are tied for fifth-most in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (23), Derrick Lewis (19), Frank Mir (16) and Junior Dos Santos (15). Tybura's eight decision victories in UFC heavyweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Arlovski (12). Tybura has landed 1,686 total strikes in UFC heavyweight competition, the second-most in divisional history behind Arlovski (1,907) Mick Parkin (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) had his 10-fight UFC winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career. UFC Fight Night 255 video: Shauna Bannon turns tables on Puja Tomar with Round 2 armbar Shauna Bannon def. Puja Tomar at UFC Fight Night 255: Best photos Bannon (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) earned the first submission victory of her career. Puja Tomar (9-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all five of her career losses by stoppage. Caolan Loughran def. Nathan Fletcher at UFC Fight Night 255: Best photos Caolan Loughran (9-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has earned both of his UFC victories by decision. Nathan Fletcher (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 255. UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Fight Night 255 post-event facts: Leon Edwards shut out – and tapped out – for first time
USA Today
23-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC Fight Night 255 winner Kevin Holland admits lifestyle leads to active schedule
LONDON – Kevin Holland's spending habits have him fighting very often. Holland (27-13 MMA, 14-10 UFC) has already fought twice this year, and was able to rebound when he defeated Gunnar Nelson (19-6-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday's UFC Fight Night 255 main card at The O2 in London. Holland, who fought and won five times in 2020, and has been the most active fighter on the roster since then, explains why he has no plans of changing his schedule. 'The amount of money I make these days, I could definitely slow down. But the amount of money I spend these days, I stay active,' Holland told reporters, including MMA Junkie during the post-fight news conference. Holland acknowledges that he looks better at 170 pounds, but says that would slow down his activity. 'If it's 170 pounds, then let's be smart and I'll possibly do a couple of months down the road then another one a couple of months down the road,' Holland said. 'If it's 170 pounds, probably only get two more in this year, three at the most. If it's 185 pounds, I can fight every f*cking weekend.' Prior to beating Nelson, Holland was quickly submitted by Reinier de Ridder in their middleweight bout at UFC 311. He thinks he was able to handle Nelson's strength and grappling a lot better not due to skill, but to the weight class. 'It's a huge difference,' Holland said. 'Fighting a guy like Gunnar, you can say a lot of things, but you can't say he can't grapple, you know what I mean? He can grapple pretty damn good, and if you're asking people online, they would probably say that he's a better grappler than 'RDR.' If he's a better grappler than RDR, then size does play a difference in the game.' For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 255. Gallery Kevin Holland def. Gunnar Nelson at UFC Fight Night 255: Best photos View 31 photos
