UFC commentator and former middleweight champion Michael Bisping was not impressed with Kevin Holland’s performance at UFC Orlando this past weekend. Holland lost to Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in a largely striking-based fight thanks to a broken hand, but Bisping believes Holland’s fight IQ – or lack thereof – was the real deciding factor, as he revealed on the post-fight show.
“We see all the time, people say, ‘The first one to shoot is a coward.’ But then guess what, people shoot, because you know what, it’s allowed in the rules. It’s a mixed martial arts contest. This was one of the first times, and maybe the only time, I’ve actually seen somebody truly live up to that.
Bisping Blasts Holland’s Fight IQ
Kevin Holland had top position. Clearly. A couple of times, he was like, ‘No, no, no. We’re going to strike. That’s what we came here to do.’ I believe he will regret that decision going forward, because that was his ego getting the better of him.
This is not a popularity contest in terms of, ‘Oh, everyone thinks I’m a real badass guy.’ No, you come here to win a fight. This is high stakes. Do you want to be a champion? Do you want to earn a lot of money? Do you want to be known as one of the best fighters in the world, or a guy who puts on a show and possibly gives away a victory. That was not high fight IQ.”
Kevin Holland has struggled in grappling exchanges, recently losing to Khamzat Chimaev in the first round. This was likely a factor in his choice not to keep the fight on the ground despite an advantageous position. However, Stephen Thompson, too, has endured losses to elite grapplers, with consecutive losses against Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns leading into the Holland fight.
Another factor might well be that Kevin Holland is a notoriously chatty fighter in the Octagon. While that has earned him plenty of fans, it may well have cost Holland a few fights. The fight between Thompson and Holland was about as friendly as two men in combat can get, with the pair frequently smiling and complimenting one another in the early rounds.
However, as Thompson got to work, and the fight wore on, Holland was increasingly debilitated by the hand injury he sustained in the first round. Eventually, the fight was called off due to the broken hand. Is Michael Bisping right about Kevin Holland? Let us know in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfs4BNAj2X0
