Holland has burned fast and bright during his first five years on the roster, but he hasn’t necessarily burned out either. In his latest fight – a main event in Orlando against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson – Holland found success early when he rocked the former title challenger in the first round.
However, that highlight came with a cost in the form of a broken hand that left Holland a one-armed fighter for the rest of the night against one of the sport’s best kickboxers. Holland hung tough, but after the fourth round, his corner threw in the towel. The result was naturally disappointing, but Holland appreciated the “straight-up, traditional martial arts battle” with Thompson.
“It was a blast,” he said. “Dude was faster than I thought. He was slicker than I thought. Overall, it was a great time and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I got respect for everybody I fight. It’s nothing but love for everybody, but if you come at me crazy or you do something sideways, then it’s, ‘F*** you.’ For the Wonderboy fight, it was pretty cool because he knew he wasn’t going to do anything like that. It was nothing but respect.”
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After recovering from his injury, Holland once again sets his eyes on establishing himself further up the welterweight ladder. In Miami, he takes on Santiago Ponzinibbio, who is fresh off a knockout win over Alex Morono at UFC 282.
Ponzinibbio is on an uneven 2-3 run since returning from a wealth of medical problems that kept him out of action for more than two years. However, with 16 knockouts to his name, he is a compelling dance partner for Holland, who believes he is superior to Ponzinibbio in every way.
