Kevin Holland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kevin Holland |
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Holland in 2025
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| Born | Kevin Alan Holland November 5, 1992 Riverside, California, U.S. |
| Nickname(s) | Trailblazer |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) |
| Division | Welterweight (2015–2016, 2022–present) Middleweight (2016–2021, 2024-present) |
| Reach | 81 in (206 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Team | Phalanx MMA Academy Travis Lutter BJJ (2010–present) |
| Rank | 2nd degree black belt in Kung Fu Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Travis Lutter |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 3 |
| Wins | 2 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 42 |
| Wins | 28 |
| By knockout | 14 |
| By submission | 9 |
| By decision | 5 |
| Losses | 13 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 4 |
| By decision | 7 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Amateur record | |
| Total | 5 |
| Wins | 5 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By decision | 2 |
Kevin Alan Holland (born November 5, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He used to be a kickboxer. Kevin Holland competes in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He started his professional career in 2015. Holland has also fought for other groups like Bellator MMA and Legacy Fighting Alliance. As of July 2025, he is ranked #13 in the UFC welterweight division.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Kevin Holland was born in Riverside, California. He grew up mostly with his grandparents in Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario. He went to Los Osos High School and Chaffey College. Holland began training in martial arts when he was 16 years old. He was a big fan of the famous fighter Georges St-Pierre. He became very interested in the UFC after watching UFC 100 for the first time.
Mixed Martial Arts Journey
Starting His Career
Kevin Holland had a great start as an amateur fighter, winning all 5 of his matches. He then became a professional MMA fighter in 2015. Before joining the UFC, he fought in different groups like Xtreme Knockout and Legacy Fighting Alliance. He built up a strong record of 12 wins and 3 losses.
Joining the UFC
Holland got a chance to join the UFC through Dana White's Contender Series in June 2018. He won his fight there, but he wasn't offered a contract right away. However, the UFC soon asked him to fight Thiago Santos at UFC 227.
First UFC Fights
Holland made his UFC debut on August 4, 2018, against Thiago Santos. He lost this fight by decision. Later that year, in November 2018, he faced John Phillips. Holland won this fight by making Phillips give up in the third round.
2019: More Wins
In 2019, Holland continued to fight in the UFC. He won two fights by decision against Gerald Meerschaert and Alessio Di Chirico. He then faced Brendan Allen in October 2019 and lost that fight.
2020: A Busy Year
The year 2020 was very busy for Kevin Holland. He had many fights and showed his skills.
- In May, he won against Anthony Hernandez very quickly.
- He then won against Joaquin Buckley in August. This win was so impressive that it earned him a Performance of the Night award.
- Holland also won against Darren Stewart and Charlie Ontiveros. His win over Ontiveros also earned him a Performance of the Night award.
- In December 2020, Holland fought Ronaldo Souza. He won this fight by knockout in the first round. This amazing win earned him another Performance of the Night award. It also tied a UFC record for the most wins in one year (5 wins!).
2021: Tough Challenges
In 2021, Holland faced some very tough opponents.
- He lost to Derek Brunson in March.
- Then, just a few weeks later, he fought Marvin Vettori. He lost this fight too, but he showed great courage by fighting two main events so close together.
- In October, he fought Kyle Daukaus. During the fight, their heads accidentally bumped, which made Holland briefly lose focus. The fight was later declared a "no contest" because of this accidental head clash.
2022: Back to Welterweight
In 2022, Kevin Holland moved back to the Welterweight division.
- He won his first welterweight fight against Alex Oliveira in March. This win earned him a Performance of the Night award.
- In June, he won against Tim Means by submission, earning another Performance of the Night award.
- In September, he had a big fight against Khamzat Chimaev at a special weight. He lost this fight.
- In December, he fought Stephen Thompson. Holland lost this fight after his corner stopped it. This exciting fight earned the Fight of the Night award. Holland also broke bones in his hand during this fight.
2023: More Victories
Holland continued to show his fighting spirit in 2023.
- He won against Santiago Ponzinibbio in April by knockout.
- In July, he won against Michael Chiesa by submission, earning another Performance of the Night award.
- He then lost a close fight to Jack Della Maddalena in September.
2024: Recent Fights
In 2024, Holland had more exciting matches.
- He lost to Michael Page in March.
- In June, he moved back to middleweight and won against Michał Oleksiejczuk by submission. This win earned him another Performance of the Night award.
- He lost his fight against Roman Dolidze in October due to a rib injury.
2025: Continuing His Journey
Kevin Holland has been very active in 2025.
- In January, he fought Reinier de Ridder and lost by submission.
- In March, he won against Gunnar Nelson by decision, earning another Performance of the Night award.
- In June, he won against Vicente Luque by submission, which was another Performance of the Night award for him.
- He is scheduled to fight Daniel Rodriguez in July.
Life Outside the Cage
Kevin Holland is known for being a helpful person outside of fighting.
- In October 2021, he helped stop someone who was trying to steal a car in his neighborhood. He chased the person and held them until the police arrived.
- In March 2022, Holland and a friend helped stop a shooting at a restaurant in Houston, Texas. They took a weapon from a person and held them until help came.
- In May 2022, Holland rescued a driver from an overturned truck. He saw the truck crash and helped the driver get out safely before any danger from leaking fluids.
Achievements and Awards
Kevin Holland has earned many awards and achievements in his fighting career:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- One Fight of the Night award (vs. Stephen Thompson)
- Nine Performance of the Night awards (vs. Joaquin Buckley, Charlie Ontiveros, Ronaldo Souza, Alex Oliveira, Tim Means, Michael Chiesa, Michał Oleksiejczuk, Gunnar Nelson, and Vicente Luque)
- He has the second most Performance of the Night bonuses in UFC history (9).
- He tied the UFC record for most wins in a calendar year (5 wins in 2020).
- He tied for the second most D'Arce/brabo choke submission wins in UFC history (3).
- He holds the record for most wins in a calendar year in the UFC Middleweight division (5).
- He also holds the record for most fights in a 12-month period in UFC history (7 fights from May 2020 to April 2021).
- Other Awards
- XKO Welterweight Championship
- XKO Middleweight Championship (defended once)
- 2020 Male Fighter of the Year by BT Sport, Cageside Press, MMAjunkie.com, MMA Weekly, The Athletic, and Sherdog.
- 2022 Fighting Spirit of the Year at the World MMA Awards for his bravery in helping his community.
Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 42 matches | 28 wins | 13 losses |
| By knockout | 14 | 2 |
| By submission | 9 | 4 |
| By decision | 5 | 7 |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 28–13 (1) | Vicente Luque | Submission (anaconda choke) | UFC 316 | June 7, 2025 | 2 | 1:03 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 27–13 (1) | Gunnar Nelson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady | March 22, 2025 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | Return to Welterweight. Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 26–13 (1) | Reinier de Ridder | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 311 | January 18, 2025 | 1 | 3:31 | Inglewood, California, United States | |
| Loss | 26–12 (1) | Roman Dolidze | TKO (corner stoppage) | UFC 307 | October 5, 2024 | 1 | 5:00 | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | |
| Win | 26–11 (1) | Michał Oleksiejczuk | Technical Submission (armbar) | UFC 302 | June 1, 2024 | 1 | 1:34 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | Return to Middleweight. Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 25–11 (1) | Michael Page | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 299 | March 9, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Miami, Florida, United States | |
| Loss | 25–10 (1) | Jack Della Maddalena | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 | September 16, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 25–9 (1) | Michael Chiesa | Submission (brabo choke) | UFC 291 | July 29, 2023 | 1 | 2:39 | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 24–9 (1) | Santiago Ponzinibbio | KO (punch) | UFC 287 | April 8, 2023 | 3 | 3:16 | Miami, Florida, United States | |
| Loss | 23–9 (1) | Stephen Thompson | TKO (corner stoppage) | UFC on ESPN: Thompson vs. Holland | December 3, 2022 | 4 | 5:00 | Orlando, Florida, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 23–8 (1) | Khamzat Chimaev | Submission (brabo choke) | UFC 279 | September 10, 2022 | 1 | 2:13 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Catchweight (180 lb) bout. |
| Win | 23–7 (1) | Tim Means | Submission (brabo choke) | UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Emmett | June 18, 2022 | 2 | 1:28 | Austin, Texas, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 22–7 (1) | Alex Oliveira | TKO (elbows) | UFC 272 | March 5, 2022 | 2 | 0:38 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Return to Welterweight. Performance of the Night. |
| NC | 21–7 (1) | Kyle Daukaus | NC (accidental clash of heads) | UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Walker | October 2, 2021 | 1 | 3:43 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Accidental clash of heads knocked Holland unconscious. |
| Loss | 21–7 | Marvin Vettori | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ABC: Vettori vs. Holland | April 10, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 21–6 | Derek Brunson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. Holland | March 20, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 21–5 | Ronaldo Souza | KO (punches) | UFC 256 | December 12, 2020 | 1 | 1:45 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Tied UFC record for most wins in a calendar year (5). Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 20–5 | Charlie Ontiveros | TKO (submission to slam) | UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Silva | October 31, 2020 | 1 | 2:39 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 19–5 | Darren Stewart | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley | September 19, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 18–5 | Joaquin Buckley | TKO (punch) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik | August 8, 2020 | 3 | 0:32 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 17–5 | Anthony Hernandez | TKO (knees and punches) | UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris | May 16, 2020 | 1 | 0:39 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | |
| Loss | 16–5 | Brendan Allen | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman | October 18, 2019 | 2 | 3:38 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | |
| Win | 16–4 | Alessio Di Chirico | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. The Korean Zombie | June 22, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Greenville, South Carolina, United States | |
| Win | 15–4 | Gerald Meerschaert | Decision (split) | UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje | March 30, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Win | 14–4 | John Phillips | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Ngannou 2 | November 24, 2018 | 3 | 4:05 | Beijing, China | |
| Loss | 13–4 | Thiago Santos | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 227 | August 4, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |
| Win | 13–3 | Will Santiago Jr. | Decision (unanimous) | Dana White's Contender Series 9 | June 12, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 12–3 | Teagan Dooley | Submission (triangle choke) | Bellator 195 | March 2, 2018 | 1 | 2:59 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | |
| Win | 11–3 | Hayward Charles | TKO (punches) | Xtreme Knockout 39 | January 6, 2018 | 3 | 3:34 | Dallas, Texas, United States | Defended the XKO Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 10–3 | Grady Hurley | TKO (knee and punches) | LFA 21 | September 1, 2017 | 1 | 1:24 | Branson, Missouri, United States | |
| Loss | 9–3 | Curtis Millender | Decision (unanimous) | LFA 13 | June 2, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Burbank, California, United States | Welterweight bout. |
| Win | 9–2 | David Gomez | TKO (punches) | KOTC: Supernova | March 18, 2017 | 1 | 3:34 | Ontario, California, United States | |
| Win | 8–2 | Geoff Neal | TKO (punches) | Xtreme Knockout 34 | January 28, 2017 | 3 | 3:50 | Dallas, Texas, United States | Defended the XKO Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–2 | Jose Alfredo Leija | TKO (submission to punches) | Xtreme Knockout 33 | November 5, 2016 | 1 | 4:03 | Dallas, Texas, United States | Return to Middleweight. Won the XKO Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 6–2 | Sam Liera | Submission (guillotine choke) | KOTC: Martial Law | September 18, 2016 | 2 | 4:23 | Ontario, California, United States | |
| Win | 5–2 | Sam Liera | TKO (punches) | KOTC: Night of Champions | March 5, 2016 | 2 | 2:56 | Ontario, California, United States | Return to Welterweight. |
| Loss | 4–2 | Rafael Lovato Jr. | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Legacy FC 46 | October 2, 2015 | 1 | 1:24 | Allen, Texas, United States | Middleweight debut. |
| Loss
align=center|4–1 |
Ramil Mustapaev | Decision (unanimous) | Genesis Combat Sports 4 | August 15, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Abilene, Texas, United States | Catchweight (175 lb) bout. | |
| Win | 4–0 | Victor Reyna | Submission (guillotine choke) | Xtreme Knockout 26 | June 27, 2015 | 1 | 3:44 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Aaron Reves | Submission (verbal) | Kickass Productions: Border Wars 1 | May 29, 2015 | 1 | 0:22 | Laredo, Texas, United States | Catchweight (174 lb) bout; Holland missed weight. |
| Win | 2–0 | Jason Perrotta | TKO (punches) | Genesis Combat Sports 3 | April 25, 2015 | 1 | 1:36 | Lubbock, Texas, United States | Catchweight (195 lb) bout. |
| Win | 1–0 | Marcos Ayub | TKO (punches) | Xtreme Knockout 25 | March 28, 2015 | 1 | 1:54 | Arlington, Texas, United States | Welterweight debut. |
Kickboxing Record
| 2 wins (2 KOs), 1 loss, 0 draws | ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-21 | Win |  Bubba McDaniel |
XKO 38 | Dallas, United States | KO (Spinning Back Elbow) | 1 | 1:29 | 2–1 |
| 2017-8-12 | Win | Matt Foster |
XKO 37 | Dallas, United States | KO (Punches) | 1 | 3:00 | 1–1 |
| 2016-4-30 | Loss | William Florentino |
XKO 30 | Dallas, United States | Decision (Split) | 1 | 3:00 | 0–1 |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | ||||||||
Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Amateur record breakdown | ||
| 5 matches | 5 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 3 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 5–0 | William Clark | TKO (punches) | Cowboys Extreme Cagefighting | March 29, 2014 | 2 | 1:14 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | Won the vacant PCG Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 4–0 | Terrence Moore | TKO (punches) | Belts of Honorious: Austin Championships | September 7, 2013 | 2 | 0:06 | Austin, Texas, United States | Won the vacant BOH Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 3–0 | Natanael Chavez | TKO (punches) | Cowboys Extreme Cagefighting | June 8, 2013 | 2 | 2:08 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Zack Reese | Decision (unanimous) | Cowboys Extreme Cagefighting | October 6, 2012 | 3 | 3:00 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Richard Bailey | Decision (unanimous) | Premiere Combat Group | August 4, 2012 | 3 | 3:00 | San Antonio, Texas, United States |
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Holland para niños
- List of current UFC fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists
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