Kevin Holland


Kevin Alan Holland is an American professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional since 2015, Holland has also competed for Bellator MMA, King of the Cage and Legacy Fighting Alliance.

Background

Holland was born in Riverside, California, and raised mostly by his grandparents in Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario. His mother has been in and out of jail, meanwhile his father has been incarcerated throughout Holland's life. Holland attended Los Osos High School and Chaffey College. Holland started martial arts training when he was 16 years old and was a fan of Georges St-Pierre. He fell in love with the UFC after watching UFC 100, the first time he had watched the UFC, while visiting his father in Philadelphia.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

After compiling an amateur record of 5–0, Holland started his professional MMA career in 2015. He fought under various promotions such as Xtreme Knockout, Legacy Fighting Championship, King of the Cage, Bellator MMA, Legacy Fighting Alliance and amassed a record of 12–3 prior to his signing by the UFC.

Dana White's Contender Series

Holland appeared on Dana White's Contender Series 9. He faced Will Santiago and won the fight via unanimous decision on June 12, 2018. Even with the win, Holland was not offered a contract on the show but he was brought in to face Thiago Santos at UFC 227.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2018

Holland made his UFC debut on August 4, 2018, against Thiago Santos at UFC 227. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Holland's next fight came on November 24, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Ngannou 2 against John Phillips. He won the fight via a submission due to a rear-naked choke in round three.

2019

Holland faced Gerald Meerschaert on March 30, 2019, at UFC on [ESPN 2]. He won the fight via split decision.
Holland faced Alessio Di Chirico on June 22, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 154. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Holland was expected to face promotional newcomer Antônio Arroyo on November 16, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Jacaré. However, in late September, promotion officials elected to remove Holland from the bout in favor of a matchup against Brendan Allen on October 18, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 6. He lost the fight via submission in round two.

2020

Holland was expected to face Jack Marshman on March 21, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Edwards. However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed. Instead, Holland faced Anthony Hernandez on May 16, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris. He won the bout via a first round technical knockout.
Holland was scheduled to face Daniel Rodriguez on May 30, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Burns. However, On May 26, Holland was forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout with Rodriguez due to an injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Gabriel Green.
Holland was expected to face Trevin Giles on August 1, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan. However, Giles fainted just prior to his walkout and the fight was canceled.
Holland faced promotional newcomer Joaquin Buckley on August 8, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 174. He won the fight via technical knockout in round three. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.
Holland faced Darren Stewart on September 19, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 178. He won the fight via split decision.
Holland was scheduled to face Makhmud Muradov, replacing injured Krzysztof Jotko, on October 31, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 181. In turn, Muradov was removed from the fight due to testing positive for COVID-19 and was replaced by promotional newcomer Charlie Ontiveros. Holland won the fight in the first round when Ontiveros verbally submitted after suffering a neck injury due to a slam. This win earned him Performance Fight of the Night award.
Holland was scheduled to face Jack Hermansson at UFC on ESPN 19 on December 5, replacing an injured Darren Till. However, on November 28, it was announced that Holland was pulled from the bout due to testing positive for COVID-19.
Holland faced Ronaldo Souza on December 12, 2020, at UFC 256. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. This fight tied the record for the most UFC wins in a calendar year. This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.

2021

Holland faced Derek Brunson on March 20, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 21. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Holland faced Marvin Vettori, replacing an injured Darren Till, on April 10, 2021, at UFC on ABC 2. With his second main event in three weeks, Holland tied the record for shortest turnaround between two main events. Though he managed to hurt Vettori with punches a few times, Holland was dominated on the ground for the majority of the fight and lost by unanimous decision. Subsequently – with one fight left on his prevailing contract – Holland signed a new, multi-fight deal with the UFC.
Holland faced Kyle Daukaus on October 2, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 193. Early in the bout a clash of heads occurred, resulting in Holland briefly being knocked unconscious. Though he continued to fight, Holland would be submitted via rear-naked choke moments later. Referee Dan Miragliotta reviewed the footage via replay and it was deemed the head clash led to the sequence of events resulting in Daukaus' win. Therefore, the fight was declared a no contest after the accidental head clash.
A rematch with Daukaus was scheduled on November 13, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 197. However, Holland withdrew from the bout due to injury.

2022

Holland returned to the Welterweight division for the first time since October 2017 to face Alex Oliveira on March 5, 2022, at UFC 272. He won the fight via technical knockout in round two. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.
Holland faced Tim Means on June 18, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 37. He won the fight via D'Arce choke submission in round two. This win earned him his fifth Performance of the Night award.
Holland was scheduled to face Daniel Rodriguez in a 180-pound catchweight bout on September 10, 2022, at UFC 279. However, due to Khamzat Chimaev missing weight for his scheduled welterweight main event bout against Nate Diaz by nearly 10 pounds, the UFC was forced to remove Chimaev from the main event and change the card around. Holland was then scheduled to face Khamzat Chimaev at a 180-pound catchweight bout in the co-headliner instead, and the bout was scheduled for five rounds. Holland lost the fight via D’Arce choke submission in the first round.
Holland fought Stephen Thompson on December 3, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 42. He lost the fight by technical knockout after his corner stopped the fight after the fourth round. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award. Holland suffered three broken metacarpals in his right hand during the fight which required surgery afterwards.

2023

Holland faced Santiago Ponzinibbio on April 8, 2023, at UFC 287. He won the bout via knockout in the third round.
Holland faced Michael Chiesa on July 29, 2023 at UFC 291. He won the fight via a D'arce choke submission in round one. The win earned Holland his sixth Performance of the Night bonus award.
Holland faced Jack Della Maddalena on September 16, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 227. He lost the fight via split decision. 16 out of 16 media outlets scored the bout for Maddalena.

2024

Holland faced promotional newcomer Michael Page on March 9, 2024, at UFC 299. He lost the bout by unanimous decision.
Holland faced Michał Oleksiejczuk in a middleweight bout on June 1, 2024, at UFC 302. After being knocked down, Holland was able to secure a victory by an armbar submission in the first round. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.
Holland was scheduled to face Chris Curtis on October 5, 2024 at UFC 307. However, Curtis withdrew from the fight due to a foot fracture and was replaced by Roman Dolidze. Holland lost the fight by technical knockout due to a corner stoppage as a result of a rib injury at the end of the first round.

2025

Holland faced former ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion Reinier de Ridder on January 18, 2025, at UFC 311. He lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round.
Holland faced Gunnar Nelson on March 22, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 255. He won the fight by 29-28 unanimous decision. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.
Holland faced Vicente Luque on June 7, 2025 at UFC 316. He won the fight by a D'Arce choke submission in the second round. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.
Holland faced Daniel Rodriguez on July 19, 2025 at UFC 318. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Holland faced Mike Malott on October 18, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 262. Despite taking a full five-minute timeout in the first round due to an inadvertent groin strike, Holland went on to lose the bout via unanimous decision.

2026

Holland was scheduled to face Geoff Neal in a rematch on February 21, 2026 at UFC Fight Night 267, following their first meeting in January 2017. However, for undisclosed reasons, Holland was removed from the card and replaced by Uroš Medić.

Personal life

In October 2021, Holland stopped an alleged carjacker in his neighborhood. Per reports, Holland chased the man down, and subdued him until police arrived.
In March 2022, Holland said he and his training partner stopped a shooting at a Houston, Texas restaurant. The men heard a shot while at a restaurant and saw a man with a weapon who was being wrestled by a member of the public; after removing the gun from the shooter's hand, Holland said he subdued the man by placing him in a rear naked choke.
In May 2022, Holland revealed that he had rescued a driver from an overturned tractor-trailer. Holland had watched the driver speed up and lose control while joining the freeway, sliding off the embankment and flipping over. Holland got out of his car and got the man out from the truck, which was leaking fluid that Holland feared was going to cause an explosion.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Amateur titles

Premiere Combat Group
  • * PCG Welterweight ChampionshipBelts of Honorious
  • * BOH Welterweight Championship