The final 2022 UFC Fight Night event to be hosted in front of a full-sized arena-worth of fans has it’s main event.
Dec. 3, the promotion touches down in Orlando, Fla., for the fourth time in company history. With it, the UFC is bringing a five-round welterweight main event between popular finishers Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland at Amway Center.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking, and the UFC made an official announcement of the matchup Wednesday.
Thompson (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) prior to the booking expressed difficulties in finding a matchup both he and the UFC were interested in. Now that he has one, Thompson will return to action for the first time in nearly a year when he looks to snap a two-fight skid of defeats to Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns.
Holland (23-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) is booked for a return less than three months after a quick submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279. Originally scheduled to fight Daniel Rodriguez, he slid into a five-round co-main event on 36 hours’ notice. Holland subsequently teased retirement on Instagram shortly thereafter.
Wednesday, Holland posted on Instagram and implied that his retirement talk was just a ruse.
The Sept. 10 loss was his first in the UFC at welterweight and snapped a two-fight winning streak of finishes of Tim Means and Alex Oliveira.
With the addition, the UFC Orlando lineup includes:
- Kevin Holland vs. Stephen Thompson
- Derek Brunson vs. Jack Hermansson
- Bryan Barberena vs. Rafael dos Anjos
- Tracy Cortez vs. Amanda Ribas
- Darren Elkins vs. Jonathan Pearce
- Matheus Nicolau vs. Matt Schnell
- Eryk Anders vs. Kyle Daukaus
- Marc Diakiese vs. Michael Johnson
- Clay Guida vs. Scott Holtzman
- Emily Ducote vs. Angela Hill
- Francis Marshall vs. Marcelo Rojo
- Natan Levy vs. Genaro Valdez
