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Kevin Holland sent shockwaves through the UFC middleweight division on his third Octagon outing after landing a lightning-quick forty-second KO on Anthony Hernandez. The two middleweights who were looking to break into the UFC Top 15 rankings, squared off in a preliminary card matchup at UFC on ESPN 8 inside the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Florida, United States.
Hernandez went into the fight with a 7-1 record in professional MMA and 1-1 inside the Octagon whereas his opponent Holland is much experienced in comparison, having a 17-5 record in professional MMA and a 3-2 record in the UFC.
Holland dismantles Hernandez, bit by bit
Once the fight kicked off, Holland didn't bother beating around the bush. Wasting little time before springing into action, Holland landed a clean right hand in the first exchange, followed by a sidekick. Hernandez looked a little out of place and Holland immediately smelled blood and moved in for the kill, landing a nasty elbow and a devastating knee to the body that saw Hernandez crumbling.
Subjected to relentless punishment at the hands of Holland, Hernandez went down on his knees but Holland was in no mood for mercy, landing a barrage of punches that forced the referee to step in and call an end to the contest at 39 seconds of the very first round.
In the post fight interview, Holland called out Mickey Gall, daring him to take up a classic striker vs. grappler matchup. Only time will tell if Holland will break into the top 15 after this brilliant performance but he can be rest assured that this is a giant stride towards the right direction.
