"Nobody saw that coming but Kevin" - Dana White says Kevin Holland "expected" to get dominated by Khamzat Chimaev

Dana White revealed that Kevin Holland wasn't surprised with how easily he was dominated by Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279.

Due to a botched weight cut, Chimaev lost his main event slot against Nate Diaz on the September 10 pay-per-view. After a chaotic shuffling of the deck, the Chechen-born Swede ended up getting paired with Holland in a catchweight bout – a matchup many believed was going to be a tougher task for Chimaev.

However, the change-up didn't at all turn out to be an issue for 'Borz'. The rising welterweight star proceeded to out grapple Holland, forcing him to tap out in the first round.

Surprisingly, the only one who accurately predicted how the fight would go down, according to White, is Holland himself. Speaking about Chimaev during the Dana White's Contender Series press conference, the UFC boss revealed:

"It's funny we were in matchmaking today and, you know, we're just talking about Khamzat and possibilities and how f***ing good that guy really is. I mean, you saw it in his last fight. Kevin Holland, to get beat the way [he did]... Well, Kevin expected it. But for everybody else, to see it happen the way it happened, nobody saw that coming but Kevin."

Watch Dana White's comments from the 1:58 mark below:

Several days after the bout, Holland unexpectedly announced his retirement from the sport. On Instagram, 'Trailblazer' said he's calling it a career – a decision White believes was premature.

---

Former UFC champion doubts validity of Kevin Holland's retirement after Khamzat Chimaev loss

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping isn't convinced that Kevin Holland is legitimately retiring from the sport.

Considering Holland's fame at a relatively young age, Bisping finds it hard to believe that 'Trailblazer' is ready to walk away at this stage of his career. During an episode of his Believe You Me podcast, 'The Count' said:

"That’s bulls***. Kevin Holland is a great fighter, he’s very well-known, he was the 2020 Fighter of the Year. He’s a fan favorite, he’s making money, he loves shiny things – I’m talking about gold and jewelry and stuff like that, and he wants to buy a lot more of it – and he’s in the prime of his life. If he was quitting, walking away, he would at least jazz it up a little touch, as opposed to using a font last seen on an Atari f***ing game system."

Watch the full episode below: