5 most exciting prospects in the UFC welterweight division right now

#4. Kevin Holland (22-7 overall, 9-4-1NC in the UFC)

Kevin Holland first appeared on the UFC's radar during an unsuccessful outing on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS). While he did secure a win on DWCS, his in-cage antics and incessant chatter during the fight likely turned off Dana White and the promotion's matchmakers.

Two months after his appearance on DWCS, Holland was offered a short-notice fight against Thiago Santos, a middleweight contender at the time and a future title challenger. 'Trailblazer' accepted the bout and had a decent showing against the formidable Brazilian. Despite losing a unanimous decision on the night, he was offered a UFC contract.

Since joining the promotion, Holland plied his trade in the middleweight division for his first 13 fights. In 2020, the American went on a scintillating 5-0 run and even broke into the 185 lb rankings following his TKO win over MMA veteran Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza.

Watch Kevin Holland's record-breaking run in 2020 below:

Following decision losses to top middleweight contenders Marvin Vettori and Derek Brunson, it became apparent that 185 lb wasn't the ideal weight class for Holland. He fought just once more in the division before finally opting to drop down to his more natural weight class, welterweight.

At UFC 272, Holland took on Alex Oliveira in his first welterweight bout since joining the promotion. He secured a second-round TKO victory, earning a 'Performance of the Night' bonus for his efforts.

Kevin Holland's ceiling at welterweight largely depends on how seriously he takes it. He has the skills to compete with the best at 170 lb and matches up very well with some of the division's top-15 fighters. At just 29, Holland has a lot to offer and could be set for a rapid ascent up the ranks if all goes to plan.

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#3. Sean Brady (15-0 overall, 5-0 in the UFC)

Sean Brady has slowly built a name for himself in the UFC's 170 lb division. He joined the UFC in 2019 and made his promotional debut against Court McGee in 2019, winning via unanimous decision.

The undefeated prospect went on to secure submission victories over Ismail Naurdiev, Christian Aguilera and Jake Matthews. He quickly gained a reputation for being an extremely dangerous grappler, as well as being the owner of one of the best back tattoos in the game.

In his most recent bout, he took on Michael Chiesa. Given Chiesa’s grappling credentials, this matchup was a real threat to Brady’s perfect pro MMA record.

Nevertheless, he secured a unanimous decision win over the then-No.6-ranked welterweight to make a huge leap in the rankings. The fact that he outgrappled one of the best grapplers in the weight class effortlessly showed that Brady is a force to be reckoned with in the welterweight division.

Now among the top ten, Sean Brady refused to make a callout following his win over Chiesa. Rather, the Philadelphia native requested that the UFC brass put him in a five-round headliner. In his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, he said:

“I want one of these main events everybody keeps getting. I want five rounds. I want to prove I can go five rounds. [I want] A top-ten or a top-five guy. It’s about to be a new year. We can go back to Philly [Philadelphia], go back to the Wells Fargo Center… Me, the Daukaus brothers, Andre Petroski, Pat Sabatini, all the New Jersey guys… We’ll pack that place.”

Watch Sean Brady’s post-fight interview below: