UFC Orlando goes down on Saturday night at Amway Center in Orlando as former two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson locks horns with Kevin Holland.
Thompson is currently riding a two-fight losing streak with defeats at the hands of Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad, whereas Holland is coming off a first round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279.
UFC Orlando: Analysis And Prediction
Both Thompson and Holland have fought grapplers in their most recent fights, so they will be very pleased to face each other in what is expected to be an all-out striking contest. Thompson is the more polished of the two strikers, courtesy of his technical kickboxing and distance management, whereas Holland is very exciting as well. ‘Big Mouth’ comes from a Kung Fu background and has a lot of sting in his shots. He also throws quite a lot of kicks and is comfortable fighting at distance. An important factor to keep an eye on in this fight will be his six-inch reach advantage over ‘Wonderboy’.
Statistically, the two fighters are very even. Thompson lands 3.9 significant strikes per minute on average, whereas Holland lands 3.85. Holland has a better defence as he absorbs only 2.38 significant strikes per minute on average, whereas Thompson absorbs 2.81. Both fighters aren’t very fond of grappling, therefore we shouldn’t expect much action on the mat.
Thompson is certainly past his prime, but his wins over Geoff Neal and Vicente Luque prove that he can still hang in there with fighters who like to keep the fight standing. Holland is a tricky matchup for the UFC veteran however. He’s fast, powerful and still very much in his prime. It will definitely be a close fight while it lasts, but expect Holland to connect with some heavy shots and earn a stoppage win.
Prediction: Kevin Holland by TKO
Betting Odds:
Stephen Thompson (+120)
Kevin Holland (-140)
Who do you think will win the welterweight main event between Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland at UFC Orlando?
