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Kevin Holland is scheduled to face Derek Brunson in a pivotal five-round Middleweight bout that will headline UFC Fight Night 188 on March 20th, 2021.
Today, we briefly examine the 3 reasons why you need to tune in for the March 20th UFC bout.
#1 Kevin Holland’s striking
Kevin Holland is one of the most underrated strikers in MMA today. Holland brings a disciplined striking style to the octagon with excellent long-range punches and kicks. All his strikes, even his close-range knees, and elbows, are masterfully precise and technically proficient.
Furthermore, Holland has never been knocked out in his professional MMA career. The Trailblazer has a granite chin and is unafraid of striking irrespective of whom he fights.
Fans can expect Kevin Holland to utilize his outstanding striking skills to circumvent Derek Brunson’s defense and test his chin. The Human Blanket currently has five KO/TKO losses on his MMA record and Kevin Holland would surely be looking to make that six come UFC Fight Night 188.
#2 Derek Brunson’s grappling
To say that Derek Brunson is a brilliant wrestler would be an understatement. Oddly enough, The Human Blanket has never quite received the deserved recognition for his wrestling and overall grappling skills. This might be because he’s shown a penchant for keeping the fight on the feet to chase a knockout win. This causes many to overlook his grappling skills.
Brunson also possesses stellar defensive grappling, as evidenced by the fact that he has no submission losses on his pro-MMA record. On the contrary, Kevin Holland has lost a couple of fights via submission. His most recent loss in October 2019 saw him tap out to Brendan Allen.
Derek Brunson could likely go back to his wrestling roots for this fight. He would be smart to force Kevin Holland into a wrestling match early on, tire him out, and alternate between threatening with strikes and submissions.
Brunson can then go all out with submission attempts in round two.
#3 Kevin Holland and Derek Brunson both have momentum on their side, in addition to the personal animosity angle in their matchup
Presently, Kevin Holland is on a five-fight winning streak and tied the UFC record for the most consecutive wins in a calendar year in 2020. Holland’s last fight was a first-round KO win over widely revered Middleweight mainstay Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza at UFC 256 in December 2020.
On the other hand, Derek Brunson is on a three-fight winning streak. Brunson’s last fight was a third-round TKO win over the previously undefeated Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan in August 2020.
Moreover, given the animosity between Kevin Holland and Derek Brunson, their showdown undoubtedly makes for must-see TV!
