UFC fans will be treated to a striking masterclass when Stephen Thompson takes on Kevin Holland at UFC on ESPN 42
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Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland [Image Courtesy: Instagram handle]
Before the Gracie family treated MMA and UFC fans to the magic of grappling in 1993, the striking arts were pretty prominent. Boxing, Kickboxing, and Karate were some of the most watched and trained sports back in the day. While the world has moved forward from that era, the love for a beautiful, striking display still lies deep within the hearts of many fans. Well, if you are amongst the fans who enjoy watching two fighters deliver a technical stand-up battle, December 3rd, 2022, will be a great weekend for you.
On that day, veteran UFC fighter Stephen Thompson will take on the boss’s favorite, Kevin Holland. This fight between the duo has been interesting since the get-go as Thompson, ranked 6th, will be facing a big name, yet unranked Kevin Holland. However, being unranked does not take away the threat that Holland is. If anything, Thompson will have to do everything under his control to come out victorious in this battle.
Over the last few years, Stephen Thompson has not had the best of times inside the octagon. Once an undefeated kickboxer, the 39-year-old finds himself with a 3-5 record in his last eight bouts. Even though his losses do not define the fighter he is, they are worrying for sure. When it comes to his latest two losses, an argument made is that Thompson faced world-class grapplers Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad, respectively. While that is no excuse, Thompson might not have to worry about getting taken down when he fights Holland.
Known for his effective point-style fighting, Stephen Thompson can fight as a Southpaw and an Orthodox. When it comes to fighting in the former stance, Thompson is usually very effective. As a southpaw, the Carolina native uses his lead leg kicks effectively. He also throws vicious lead hooks that tamper the defenses of his opponents. However, while fighting in the orthodox stance, Thompson usually relies on his combination punching. He also throws a lot of spinning attacks when fighting with his left hand forward. ‘Wonderboy’ will look to constantly shift stances and sail his way to victory against Holland.
But the only issue for Thompson is that in Kevin Holland, the former UFC title challenger faces a hungry fighter seeking vengeance. While age is not on Thompson’s side, certain aspects of Holland’s game can be problematic for ‘Wonderboy.’
Kevin Holland has what it takes to defeat Stephen Thompson at UFC on ESPN 42
From being awarded MMA Junkie’s Fighter of the Year in 2020 to considering retirement in 2022, Kevin Holland’s journey in the UFC has come a long way. Once tipped to win a championship at middleweight, Holland’s run at 185-pounds suffered an end when he faced Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori. Both fighters used their size and grappling to end Holland’s title aspirations at middleweight. Since then, Holland decided he would move to welterweight, and things have been great for Holland in his new weight class.
At UFC 272, Holland returned to 170 pounds and faced Alex Oliveira in a fight that helped boost the former’s morale. The 30-year-old finished Oliveira in round two and won via TKO. Three months later, at UFC on ESPN 37, Holland displayed his grappling skills as he beat Tim Means via D’arce choke. His only loss as a welterweight in the UFC came against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279. Facing Chimaev on short notice, ‘Trailblazer’ proceeded to get dominated and lost the bout via D’arce choke in round one.
While Holland spoke of retirement soon after his loss to Chimaev, the fighter later confirmed he would face Stephen Thompson. This is an ideal scenario for Holland, as against Thompson, he will fight someone who will keep the fight standing. Also, the age factor in this fight is a massive advantage for Holland. Thompson is eight years older than the 30-year-old Holland, and in his recent fights, Thompson has looked his age. It is a perfect opportunity for the ‘Trailblazer’ to execute his game plan.
As a fighter, Kevin Holland is one of the finest strikers at 170 pounds. A second-degree black belt in Kung Fu, Holland has used his punches and kicks to the best of his abilities in most of his victories. The flawless nature of his striking is further justified by the fact that in the 23 victories, Holland has won 13 via knockout. Not only his striking, but Holland is also a black belt in BJJ under Travis Lutter. If ‘Trailblazer’ decided to take this fight to the ground, things might turn ugly for Thompson.
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In short, the fight between Thompson and Holland ticks the boxes for all the right reasons. Both fighters are hungry individuals and will do all it takes to keep rising in the 170-pound division. With us already having entered fight week, it will be interesting to see who prevails between Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland.
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Varun Anand Bhat
(106 Articles Published)