Preview: UFC Fight Night 181 ‘Hall vs. Silva’

HOLLAND ENDS IT WITH ONE SHOT!! #UFCVegas6 pic.twitter.com/fgjtLxlkbM

— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) August 9, 2020

Middleweights

Kevin Holland (19-5) vs. Makhmud Muradov (24-6)

ODDS: Holland (-170), Muradov (+150)

Holland has historically been willing to step in on short notice, and he has been one of the standouts of this pandemic as a result, as the “Trailblazer” is looking for his fourth win since the UFC restarted its engines in May. Holland would probably be better served by refining his improvisational approach, but that would be a waste of one of the most consistently entertaining fighters in the sport. Holland essentially goes along with whatever presents itself in the moment, whether it is an opponent’s offense or a thought that enters his mind; for example, he kicked off his UFC career with a flying omoplata attempt against Thiago Santos. That approach usually gets Holland in more danger than necessary, but save for losses to Santos and Brendan Allen, his natural talent has allowed him to escape most disadvantageous situations. Add in that Holland likes to consistently talk through his fights, and the whole package has made him must-watch television in this empty-arena era. He should have another enjoyable scrap here against Uzbekistan’s Muradov, who looks for his third win in as many UFC fights. Muradov is one of the UFC’s more underrated fighters in terms of entertainment value, but that is mostly thanks to a lack of high-profile situations. “Mach” is a sharp range boxer who tends to build his offense as he feels out his opponents, and he is coming off of a beautifully brutal knockout of Trevor Smith in December. This should be an excellent opportunity for Muradov to show his wares and an interesting benchmark to see where he stands, given that Holland figures to be his toughest opponent to date. Muradov does not pay much mind to what comes back from his opponents, and frankly, he usually does not have to thanks to his speed and ability to dictate range. However, that may get blown apart in the face of Holland’s ranginess, and that is without factoring in the threat the American’s grappling may pose should he choose to pursue it. Muradov’s more focused approach may be enough to get the win, but even in a loss, this should be the type of banger that raises his profile. The pick is Holland via decision.

Continue Reading » Hardy vs. Greene