Kevin Holland presents his opinion on fighting Derek Brunson. The fight is scheduled to take place on March 20.
Garnering five victories in seven months, Kevin Holland is for many the undisputed pick for the fighter of the year tag. However, the year is now different and in a bid to reach the championship stage the challenges will get tougher for him in 2021. And, what could be perceived as the start of the endgame, the 28-year-old is set to go up against Derek Brunson on March 20.
The bout against Brunson will be Holland’s first main event stint in UFC, and hence plans are in place from his end to make it a memorable night.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, the Trailblazer expressed his views on the upcoming fight, threw light on his rivalry with Brunson, and also revealed why he is not too upbeat about fighting the Human Blanket.
“I just hate that Brunson is my first main event,” Holland said. “I mean, the storyline is good. It’s cool. Everything is amazing there. I’m having fun with him online. He’s kind of making me enjoy that it is him. But at the same time, Brunson? He’s kind of the gatekeeper. He’s another year older. It was just his birthday. This, that, etc., etc., etc.
“It’s like, beat Brunson, there are going to be 1,000 excuses why you beat Brunson, too. A main event against somebody with no excuses? That would’ve been amazing. The main event, beating Brunson, and there’s going to be a thousand excuses once I beat, him? Ooh. Cool.”
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Kevin Holland intends to take apart Derek Brunson with a ‘Knockout of the century’
Holland, who inflicted an outrageous knockout against Jacare Souza at UFC 256, intends to give Brunson a taste of his fist as well and states that he knows what a “Knockout of the century,” would look like.
“If I can time his favorite combo right, it might not be five rounds,” Holland said. “I’m definitely preparing for five, so we’ll see how it goes. I have plenty of time to prepare, so I should be more than great. I’ve got a sequence. If I slip his jab, roll his overhand, and then hit him with a good hip thrust while he goes for a takedown, I’ll knock him out with my cojones. That right there would be a knockout for the century.”
Earlier, Derek Brunson laid out his thoughts about fighting Kevin Holland and implied that he is superior to him in every aspect. Reflecting on Brunson’s statement Holland said he just needs 5 minutes of pure striking against him to get the job done.
“He says I can’t wrestle, so I can’t wrestle,” Holland said. “We’ll see when that night comes. I just pray that he doesn’t try to hump for a full 25 minutes. Just give me five minutes of striking, Brunson. Just five minutes. That’s all I ask you. If you give me five minutes of striking, I’ll give you 20 minutes of humping.”
While Brunson’s isn’t his ideal opponent, Yet, Kevin Holland is of the opinion that a victory over him could bolster his title contention.
“The history of the 185-pound division over the past couple of years has been, ‘Beat Brunson, get a title shot,'” Holland said. “So yeah, I think (a title eliminator would be next).“
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