Kevin ‘Trailblazer’ Holland was born on November 5, 1992, in Riverside, California, and is one of the more recognizable faces within the UFC. His fighting style is unique as it mixes Kung Fu with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He actively competes in both the middleweight class at 185 lbs and the welterweight category at 170 lbs. Holland stands at 6'3" and boasts an astonishing reach of 81 inches, making him a difficult opponent to deal with considering his ability to strike effectively from range.
After a successful amateur career, Holland began his professional MMA career in 2015 and made his debut in the UFC in August of 2018. One of his most active years was in 2020, a year in which he tied the UFC record for most wins in a calendar year with five victories. Among the wins in his career are knockouts over Joaquin Buckley and Santiago Ponzinibbio, and submissions of Michael Chiesa and Michał Oleksiejczuk. Given his reputation for being a brash personality with an entertaining fight style, Holland has won 14 of his 26 wins by knockout and 8 by submission. Despite a handful of losses to top contenders such as Khamzat Chimaev and Stephen Thompson, the consensus remains that he is a fan favorite thanks to his relentless activity and charismatic personality.
Kevin Holland’s submission win against Michal Oleksiejczuk
At UFC 302, Kevin Holland secured a submission victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk in the first round with a devastating armbar. The fight started with Oleksiejczuk dropping Holland early with a powerful left hand, but Holland quickly recovered and transitioned to a tight armbar. Despite Oleksiejczuk's attempts to defend, Holland locked it in, and while Oleksiejczuk didn’t verbally tap, his arm was clearly in a compromised position forcing the referee Herb Dean to stop the fight to prevent further damage.
Oleksiejczuk protested the stoppage, but he was visibly unable to control his arm, confirming the severity of the injury. After the fight, Oleksiejczuk confirmed that his arm was not broken.
Kevin Holland's submission wins
Kevin Holland has managed to win a number of fights via submission during his time in the UFC, proving that he is not just a striker. As of January 2025, Holland has racked up 8 wins by submission, which equates to 31% of his career victories. His submission wins include techniques such as the D'Arce choke, guillotine choke, rear-naked choke, triangle choke, and armbar. Notable submission wins include beating Michael Chiesa in July 2023 and Michal Oleksiejczuk in June 2024.
*Last updated on January 8, 2025.
FAQs on Kevin Holland's submission
A. After his fight against Kevin Holland, Michal Oleksiejczuk revealed that his hand did not break.
A. Kevin Holland holds a professional MMA record of 26 wins, 12 losses, and 1 no-contest.
A. As of January 2025, Kevin Holland has submitted his opponent eight times in his professional MMA career.
A. As of January 2025, Kevin Holland is 31 years old.
