Before the Gracie family brought the magic of grappling to MMA and UFC fans in 1993, the striking arts were quite the highlight. Boxing, Kickboxing and Karate were some of the most watched and trained sports at that time. Although the world has moved away from that era, the love for a beautiful and striking image still lies deep in the hearts of many fans. If you’re a fan who enjoys watching two fighters fight a technical stand-up battle, December 3, 2022 will be a great weekend for you.
On that day, veteran UFC fighter Stephen Thompson will face off against boss favorite Kevin Holland. This fight between the two was interesting from the very beginning as the 6th placed Thompson will face the big name but the unqualified Kevin Holland. But being unranked doesn’t remove the threat the Netherlands has. Rather, Thompson will have to do everything under his control to win this battle.
In the past few years, Stephen Thompson hasn’t had his best times inside the octagon. The 39-year-old, once an undefeated kickboxer, finds himself with a record 3-5 in his last eight games. While his losses don’t determine what kind of fighter he is, they are certainly worrying. When it comes to his last two defeats, Thompson has allegedly faced world-class grapples. Gilbert Burns and Belal Mohammed, respectively. While that’s not an excuse, Thompson might not have to worry about being defeated when fighting the Netherlands.
Known for his effective point style fighting, Stephen Thompson He can fight as a Southpaw and an Orthodox. When it comes to combat in the old stance, Thompson is usually very effective. As a left-handed, the Carolina native uses lead leg kicks effectively. He also throws ruthless lead hooks that tamper with his opponents’ defenses. However, when fighting in the orthodox stance, Thompson often relies on punch combinations. He also does multiple spinning attacks while fighting forward with his left hand. ‘Wonderboy’ will constantly change positions and sail his way to victory over the Netherlands.
The only problem for Thompson, however, is that he faces a vengeful hungry fighter in former UFC title contender Kevin Holland. While age isn’t on Thompson’s side, some aspects of Holland’s play could be problematic for ‘Wonderboy’.
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Kevin Holland has what it takes to beat Stephen Thompson On ESPN 42 at UFC
From being named Fighter of the Year by MMA Junkie in 2020 to Kevin Holland contemplating retirement in 2022, his journey in the UFC has come a long way. The Netherlands’ 185-pound run, once predicted to win a middleweight title, came to an end when they faced Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori. Both fighters used their size and grappling to end the Netherlands’ middleweight title aspirations. Since then, the Netherlands has decided to switch to heavyweight and things have been great for the Netherlands in their new weight class.
At UFC 272, Holland returned to 170 pounds and faced Alex Oliveira in a fight that helped lift the former player’s morale. The 30-year-old finished Oliveira in the second round and won by technical knockout. Three months later, at the UFC on ESPN 37, Holland showcased his grappling skills as he defeated Tim Means with the D’arce choke. His only loss as welterweight in the UFC was countered. hamzat chimaev At UFC 279. ‘Trailblazer’, which faced Chimaev in a short time, continued to dominate and lost the match with D’arce choke in the first round.
While Holland spoke of retirement shortly after losing to Chimaev, the fighter confirmed he would face Stephen Thompson later. This is an ideal scenario for the Netherlands, who will fight against Thompson with someone to keep the fight afloat. In addition, the age factor in this fight is a huge advantage for the Netherlands. Thompson is eight years older than the 30-year-old Holland and has been showing his age in recent games. This is the perfect opportunity for ‘Pioneer’ to fulfill his game plan.
As a fighter, Kevin Holland With 170 pounds he is one of the best forwards. A second-degree black belt in Kung Fu from the Netherlands, he used his punches and kicks to the best of his abilities for most of his victories. The flawless nature of his shot is further confirmed by the fact that the Netherlands won 13 out of 23 by knockout. Not just his kick, the Netherlands also has a black belt in BJJ under Travis Lutter. Things could get ugly for Thompson if “Trailblazer” decides to put this fight to the ground.
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In short, the fight between Thompson and Holland ticks the boxes for all the right reasons. Both fighters are hungry individuals and will do whatever it takes to keep rising in the 170-pound division. As we enter fight week, it will be interesting to see who wins between Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland.
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