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In a video released by UFC on BT Sport, Kevin Holland can be seen speaking to his corner in-between rounds during his UFC Vegas 23 fight. Holland whispered that he couldn’t see to his trainers during his loss to Marvin Vettori.
The UFC on BT Sport Twitter account has put forth a video wherein 'Trailblazer' can be seen telling his corner persons that he’s unable to see.
“I can’t see,” Kevin Holland whispered to his corner after having competed for two rounds at UFC Vegas 23.
Between rounds two and three, Holland passed this information to his corner in a muffled tone rather than saying it out loud.
It’s believed that 'Trailblazer' whispered to his corner because the referee and the octagon-side doctor could have stopped the fight if they had heard him. Kevin Holland later told them that he had a clear vision.
Regardless, many in the MMA world have commended Holland for the courage and durability he showcased in the fight.
Before UFC Vegas 23, Kevin Holland had recently competed in a five-round UFC middleweight bout against Derek Brunson at UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. Holland on March 20th, 2021.
Holland was thoroughly outworked in the fight, courtesy of Brunson’s grappling-heavy strategy. The 'Trailblazer' lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Following this, Kevin Holland made a quick turnaround to compete in the main event of UFC Vegas 23 where he faced Marvin Vettori.
Kevin Holland was the recipient of a grappling clinic against Marvin Vettori at UFC Vegas 23
The fight didn’t go Kevin Holland’s way, however, as Marvin Vettori adopted a grappling-heavy strategy. Vettori's tactics were similar to the one adopted by Brunson in his fight with The Trailblazer.
Over the course of their five-round matchup, the Italian fighter outworked Holland and inflicted a significant amount of damage on his foe.
While both fighters had their moments on the feet, it was Kevin Holland who appeared to be the better striker of the two.
Nevertheless, 'Trailblazer' was unable to up the ante with his excellent striking skills, as Vettori initiated grappling exchanges in the clinch and on the mat.
Marvin Vettori held Kevin Holland to the mat and put a steady pace on his opponent with technically proficient ground and pound.
Even when Holland did manage to get back to his feet, Vettori would land another takedown and force the action to the mat.
In the end, Marvin Vettori defeated Kevin Holland via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout as 50-44 in favor of the Italian.
Vettori has now demanded a title shot against UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Meanwhile, Kevin Holland is expected to go back to the drawing board and examine what went wrong in his past couple of fights.
