Kevin Holland may retire if he finds Khamzat Chimaev getting a shot at Alex Pereira for the UFC middleweight title. Holland retired once before for a few days before getting back into competition once he lost to Chimaev at UFC 279. He believes that Chimaev having missed weight in his last outing does not deserve a title shot.
Chimaev has only one fight at middleweight against Gerald Meerschaert so Holland’s reservations do make sense. However, Chimaev is considered one of the UFC top talents and among the best fighters of this generation.
So, fans would certainly not and seeing a superfight between the two. But if we go by UFC president Dana White, Chimaev is more likely to square off against Colby Covington at the next earliest possibility.
What Did Kevin Holland Say About Khamzat Chimaev?
For his part, Holland is set to go off against Steven Thompson at UFC Fight Night this Saturday. He voiced his views on Chimaev and Pereira at the Orlando pre-fight presser. He said:
“(My retirement) was serious as hell – super serious. It’s still on the table. If I wake up Sunday morning after beating ‘Wonderboy’ and you guys have Chimaev fighting for a 185-pound world title, and he’s never won a fight at ’85 in the top 15, I’m retired. I understand business is business, but favoritism is favoritism.”
Speaking on his retirement decision, Holland said he made a decision because things have to go a certain way. Otherwise, fighters do not get what they want. And he thinks if things are not moved the right way then he will be willing to hand in his papers again.
While the UFC is unlikely to set up a Chimaev vs Pereira fight, Holland might not get what he wants either.
