UFC middleweight Kevin Holland targets BMF title fight with Jorge Masvidal while Israel Adesanya moves up in weight

UFC middleweight contender Kevin Holland wants to bring the BMF title to the 185lbs division. Holland has claimed that he intends to drop down to welterweight and take the BMF title from its current owner, Jorge Masvidal.

Holland will look to become only the third fighter in UFC history to go 5-0 in one year when he competes for the fifth time in seven months against Jack Hermansson at a UFC Fight Night event in December.

While he intends to become the new BMF champ, a win over Hermansson - who is a top-five opponent - might propel Holland into the title picture at 185lbs.

However, what's also true is the fact that reigning champion Israel Adesanya is likely moving up to 205lbs to challenge Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title.

This means that even if Kevin Holland manages to get past Hermansson, the former will have to wait to get the title shot at 185lbs. And that's why Holland doesn't plan on waiting for Adesanya.

Speaking to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Kevin Holland stated that if Adesanya moves up to 205lbs to challenge Jan Blachowicz, then he will move down to welterweight and fight Jorge Masvidal for the BMF belt.

“I walk around at 196lbs, you know? I have leverage, I’m tall, I’m long. So I can fight at (middleweight) no problem. But if they had a 175lbs weight class I’d be there. But they do have two belts at 170lbs and I think one belt doesn’t belong at welterweight, you know what I mean? I think you know what I mean,” Holland said.

Kevin Holland doesn't want to fight for an interim title

Kevin Holland said that he has no animosity towards Masvidal, but he still wants to go down and grab the BMF belt because he doesn't want to wait for Israel Adesanya. Holland also made it clear that he does not intend to fight for an interim title while Adesanya moves to light heavyweight in search of a second title.

"So, maybe I can go out and slap somebody after the fight, let everybody know that I’m really a bad motherf***** and that I can get a BMF fight. That’s what I’m shooting for, not all this other sh*t, you know? It’s like, I’m going to put work to get the BMF title. While Izzy’s up a weight class doing his thing, I’m going to go down south a little bit, grab some straps, then come up to 185lbs and fight for a real belt. I don’t want to fight for an interim belt, that sounds ridiculous. I like Masvidal, but yeah.”

Kevin Holland has been one of the breakthrough fighters in the UFC middleweight division in 2020. Holland is 7-2 overall in the Octagon, but this year, he is on a hot streak with a 4-0 record, having registered wins over Anthony Hernandez, Joaquin Buckley, Darren Stewart, and Charlie Ontiveros.