UFC Fight Night: Thompson v Holland takes place on December 3, 2022 (December 4 in Australia) from Orlando, Florida’s Amway Center. Headlining the fight card are Welterweight contenders Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (16-6-1) and Kevin “Trailblazer” Holland (23-8-0, 1NC). The fight card also features a who’s who of UFC fan favourites, with the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Tai Tuivasa, Darren Elkins and Clay Guida in action.
The card marks the UFC’s first event in Orlando since 2018, which saw Jeremy Stephens knocking out Josh Emmett in the main event. The main card kicks off at 2pm AEDT, with the prelims beginning at 11am AEDT.
Main Event Breakdown
The main event sees a battle between two of the UFC’s best strikers in Wonderboy and Holland. Both men are looking to get back into the win column after suffering one-sided defeats at the hands of wrestlers.
Wonderboy returns to action for the first time in nearly a year. His last two outings came against Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns, who both used their superior wrestling to stifle Wonderboy’s kick-heavy game and security unanimous decision victories. Wonderboy will hope to start a new run to a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship currently held by Leon Edwards after signing a 6-fight deal prior to his bout with Muhammed.
Kevin Holland will also be looking to return to the win column after his submission defeat to Khamzat Chimaev in a short-notice catchweight bout at UFC 279. Holland ends his brief retirement, coming back in a favoristic matchup. Holland is riding a 2-fight win streak at Welterweight since dropping down from Middleweight after defeats to Marvin Vettori and Derek Brunson. In his two welterweight bouts, Holland scored a TKO victory over Alex ‘Cowboy’ Oliveira and submitted Tim Means by D’arce choke.
Main Event Prediction
Both men will be happy to be back in a matchup against a fellow striker, with neither likely to wrestle. Wonderboy will stay at range, utilising his in-and-out Karate style, while Holland, who also fights at range, will look to land punches with power and precision.
Wonderboy, at 30 years of age, has likely hit his peak with Holland entering the prime of his career. While it is never smart to underestimate Wonderboy, this is Holland’s fight to win and push his way into the top 10 of the Welterweight division.
Prediction: Kevin Holland by TKO Round 2
2 responses to “UFC FN: Thompson V Holland – Main Event Preview, Breakdown and Prediction”
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[…] UFC returns to Orlando this Sunday, 4th December (AEDT), with UFC Fight Night: Thompson v Holland. Read our preview and breakdown of the main event between Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson and Kevin … The main card also features several intriguing matchups with UFC veterans and fan favourites in […]