Cageside Press analyst Val Dewar enlisted regional MMA prospect scout Zach Harkness and boxing expert Philip Walsh to list the best fights in a stacked week of fighting which includes UFC 299, PFL Europe 1, ONE Fight Night 20, and Knockout Chaos, the boxing event headlined by Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou. They break down the ten most important fights across three different sports for combat fans to watch this week around the world.
10 – Kevin Holland VS Michael ‘Venom’ Page
The UFC’s signing of Michael ‘Venom’ Page drew attention after years of fan anticipation for the karateka’s unusual, swagger-driven stylings to switch over to the top MMA promotion after a high-profile Bellator career. A fight against the other popular modern karateka in MMA, ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, was expected, but with that being deemed too high a jump up the rankings, Kevin Holland made logical sense instead for MVP’s debut. Ever since his record year in 2020 with five victories, ‘Trailblazer’ has truly blazed his trail to the top of the sport, in the hearts and minds of fans if not in the rankings. Despite his losses, some of them woefully embarrassing, Holland’s exciting fighting style, magnetic personality, and headlines for stopping multiple crimes, even saving a life, have made him one of the UFC’s premier draws.
Kevin Holland's 2020 resume includes…
4️⃣ fights
4️⃣ wins
3️⃣ finishes
2️⃣ bonuses@Trailblaze2top concludes his breakout year Saturday at #UFC256 pic.twitter.com/v5hcRWNwym— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 10, 2020
Though some see him as a gimmick fighter, Holland has beaten genuinely good opponents like Michael Chiesa, Tim Means, and Santiago Ponzinibbio in exciting ways. Likewise, many fans see MVP as a gimmick fighter who faltered against the best competition, but none of them can deny his appeal with his flashy kicks and extensive highlight reel. Their combined highlight reel may be the best of any fight thus far this year, so no matter the relevance of the fight to the actual welterweight division – it is hard to see a path for either man to the belt – the excitement factor is as good as it gets at this level, even on a very deep UFC 299 card.
