NEWARK, N.J. – Kevin Holland had one of the nastiest submission finishes of recent memory.
The fan-favorite UFC fighter defeated Michal Oleksiejczuk by technical submission on the main card of Saturday’s UFC 302. Oleksiejczuk (19-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) refused to tap to an armbar and Holland (26-11 MMA, 13-8 UFC) had no choice, but to take it a step further. Although not confirmed, it did look like Oleksiejczuk’s arm broke, which is why the referee stopped the fight.
Holland knew Oleksiejczuk wasn’t going to tap and had to finish the armbar.
“When I first put him in the armbar, I heard a pop,” Holland said at the UFC 302 post-fight press conference. “After that, it wasn’t popping again, and I was like, ‘I’m going to have to do a full-blown break. I kept trying to Chihuahua scoot and then had a good pull under that.
“But the guy is tough as nails, and he hit me with a good shot. I had a feeling. I fought John Phillips in my first UFC win, and I had a feeling he was going to be like John Phillips, but better. I told my coaches, ‘He hits me with a good shot and this fight is going to the ground. He hit me with a good shot and the fight got to the ground.”
Holland was able to bounce back from a two-fight losing skid with the win. As far as what’s next, Holland is hoping Vicente Luque pulls out of his welterweight bout against Nick Diaz on Aug. 3, so he can jump in as a replacement.
“Hopefully Luque pulls out and I get Diaz.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.
