UFC 272’s Kevin Holland: Welterweight Debut Would Have Come Sooner, But “I Thought Too Far Ahead”

Las Vegas, NV — If you’re curious, no, Kevin Holland’s drop to welterweight at UFC 272 this Saturday was not based on the result of his fight with Chris Daukaus.

That, Holland said during this week’s UFC 272 media day, is “a ridiculous question,” albeit one he’s been asked frequently.

“Don’t think that freakin’ [Kyle] Daukaus— you see how I had to check my language right there? Made me drop a freakin’ weight class. You see what happened when big brother fought big brother. And that’s my big bro in my eyes,” Holland said, referencing December’s Chris Daukaus vs. Derrick Lewis fight. “So yeah, don’t think that, not a freakin’ illegal strike is gonna make me change weight classes. It’s something I should have done a long time ago.”

For those who have forgotten, Holland’s fight with the smaller Daukaus brother ended when he was knocked unconscious by an accidental head butt. The result was a no contest, and the UFC’s attempt to run the fight back actually delayed Holland’s welterweight debut.

Holland revealed on Wednesday that he had actually wanted to make the change in weight class after his March 2021 fight with Derek Brunson — planning the move in advance. “I was like ‘were gonna win the Brunson fight,’ I didn’t have no doubt about that whatsoever. I was like ‘man I can drink three cokes and get off the coach and whup this fool’s ass.’ Didn’t go like that. I was going to go to 170, because my name was in a good spot. Go to 70, only have to cut weight a few times, get to fight the champ, get to see what happens there, get to go back up, get to be that guy, something superstar, something mega— I thought too far ahead.”

After the Brunson fight, Holland continued, “There I was a couple weeks later, I was losing to Vettori, then here goes the Daukaus fight, I figured me and Daukaus were going to reschedule right away, we did, I botched my ankle, after my ankle was botched, I needed a couple weeks to get my ankle back right. I came out to Vegas to get the help to get the ankle back right, he took a fight with somebody else, so I was like alright, well f*ck him. I’m the one with the number next to my name. He should wait a couple weeks, he doesn’t want to wait a couple weeks, and they gave us some good dates too. I was like ‘well go do your thing.’ Then his fight ended up getting rebooked like four or five times, and I got a 170 fight. I can’t wait on people, I’ve got to move forward.”

Watch the full UFC 272 media day appearance from Kevin Holland above. The event takes place this Saturday, March 5, 2022 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. More coverage from the event can be found below.