UFC welterweight Kevin Holland is up for anyone as a potential next opponent, but thinks a particular undefeated peer should stay off his path.
Holland (24-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is on the heels of knocking out Santiago Ponzinibbio in the third round at UFC 287 in Miami, and is already itching to get back into the cage. Michael Chiesa was mentioned as a potential opponent, and Holland says he could be ready for that fight a month from now.
“I think May would be really quick, but I think that I would be rightfully so ready for a Chiesa fight if he wanted to step in there in May,” Holland told MMA Junkie Radio. “If not, we could do it after May, or whoever they have lined up for me, whenever they want me to go. It really doesn’t matter. If I get to go soon, awesome. If not, I could wait until slightly after July.”
“… Chiesa was just hot on the mind because he had a chance to fight on the card, didn’t get a chance to fight on the card. I never know what another man’s making, I never know what another man’s doing, I never know if another man has plans with his money that he’s potentially about to make, but I can at least offer a man a chance to get his show money by whooping his f*cking ass. So, that’s the least I can do.”
Chiesa (16-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) was set to take on Li Jingliang, who became injured, which forced their UFC 287 bout to be scrapped.
Rising undefeated welterweight star Ian Garry previously called out Holland.
Garry (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is currently set to take on Daniel Rodriguez in May for his second fight of 2023. Holland thinks a potential showdown is possible in the future, but for now, he says the Irishman should steer clear unless he wants a blemish on his record.
“I seen Ian Garry called my name,” Holland said. “I think the dude is on a hell of a trajectory. I think he’s doing great things. I think he’s on the way to the top, and if he feels that I’m a name that he needs to help himself to the top, I think he should stay far the f*ck away, because he likes to strike and he does get dropped with a left hook. If you’ve seen my left hook these days, like I said, newfound relationship. It hurts. And the right hand, by time he’s ready to fight, will be crisp.
“I just don’t think it’s a smart fight for Ian Garry right this second. Like I said, maybe one day he’ll be a titleholder and I’ll be a BMF holder, and we can clash it up for big dollars or something like that.”
Aside from calling out Jack Della Maddalena as a potential opponent that would make for a fun fight, Holland is really up for taking on any name the UFC wants to throw his way, ranked or not.
“I really don’t feel the need to call too many people out – I mean, at 170,” Holland said. “If anybody at ’85 wants to fight again, we could do it. If anybody who’s ever beat me at 170 wants to do it again, we can do it. Other than that, it’s whoever the organization wants me to fight. If they want to keep giving me people that’s outside of the top 15, I’m cool with that too.”
