LOS ANGELES – Kevin Holland plans to outdo himself in 2025.
Forward of UFC 311, the promotion’s first pay-per-view occasion of the yr and on which he’s competing, Holland (26-12 MMA, 13-9 UFC) expects to have a really lively yr. One of many promotion’s most frequent fighters, Holland desires to interrupt the non-public document he set in 2020 of 5 fights. He received all of these.
“Best can be six instances,” Holland advised MMA Junkie and different reporters at a pre-fight information convention Wednesday. “In 2020, everyone knows I didn’t have that many months to work and I nonetheless received loads carried out that yr. This yr, I’m beginning off actually, actually early with it being January, and I’ve received loads of time to work. So I feel six can be straightforward. Realistically, I might in all probability do six or seven and ensure no one ever catches up once more.”
UFC 311 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Disney+, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Holland takes on former ONE champion Reinier de Ridder (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a welterweight bout that serves as the principle card opener.
“I do know he had a fairly respectable profession over at ONE,” Holland stated. “I do know he misplaced all that earlier than he came visiting right here. Simply preserve them transferring.”
De Ridder made his promotional debut in November when he submitted divisional staple Gerald Meerschaert. Regardless of that consequence, Holland is a black-belt himself and stated he isn’t overly involved about getting submitted.
“In the end, I simply see him beginning to fade and simply giving me the ‘dub,’” Holland stated. “That’s simply type of how I image it. When he misplaced his belt within the final group, he type of simply pale and gave the belt away. Perhaps that’s what he does: fades and provides it away. … I in all probability grappled much less preparing for this man. If he subs me, that’d be f*cking loopy. I don’t suppose he does something that nice on the bottom.
“Him within the Gerald Meerschaert combat was enjoyable. Gerald is a tricky particular person to combat. I’ve been there earlier than, carried out that earlier than. That being stated, Meerschaert simply made a slight mistake. If Meerschaert had not made that mistake, I feel in Spherical 3 Meerschaert would’ve received that combat. The man was able to give up.”
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