You're celebrated for beating 40-year-olds" - UFC veteran Derek Brunson rips into Kevin Holland

Derek Brunson had more fighting words for Kevin Holland
Derek Brunson had more fighting words for Kevin Holland

Veteran UFC middleweight Derek Brunson took another shot at surging contender Kevin Holland on social media.

Kevin Holland has been on quite a tear in the UFC in 2020, winning five times in just the last eight months. Holland capped off his stellar year with a spectacular first-round TKO win over Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza at UFC 256 earlier this month.

After the win over Jacare, Kevin Holland called out number 7-ranked middleweight contender Derek Brunson.

The two would go back-and-forth on social media, with Holland calling for a fight in January, and Brunson accusing the former of wanting to back out of the proposed fight.

A couple of days later, it appears as though the war of words between the two top-10 middleweights is not over yet, as Kevin Holland took another shot at Derek Brunson:

Brunson responded by saying that Holland is being celebrated for knocking out a 40-year old man:

"Yeah I get it. You just fought & you have all the fans remembering your recent work. People clowned Conor McGregor for beating up a 40+ year old man. But you're celebrated. Enjoy this will be short lived. Welcome to the terror dome."

Who would benefit more from a Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland fight?

Top UFC middleweight contenders Derek Brunson and Kevin Holland have been going at it on social media, setting the scene for a possible showdown in 2021.

The question is, who would benefit more from a win? Brunson or Holland?

Number 7-ranked contender Derek Brunson is currently riding a three-fight winning streak and will be aiming to break into the top-5 of the division in the coming year. While Kevin Holland is ranked lower, a win over the surging 185-pounder will arguably be more significant than any of his last three wins against Edmen Shahbazyan, Ian Heinisch, and Elias Theodorou. An impressive win over Holland could just be enough to earn Derek Brunson a spot in the top-5.

For the number 10-ranked Kevin Holland on the other hand, a win over Brunson would make it six straight wins. Brunson would also be the highest-ranked opponent on Holland's record. A win over Derek Brunson could be enough to propel Kevin Holland to at least the number 7 spot in the UFC's middleweight rankings, or even help him crack into the top-5.

With the UFC middleweight title likely to go undefended at least until the second half of 2021, matchups between top contenders like Derek Brunson and Kevin Holland should be enough to keep the division interesting.

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