Aljamain Sterling explains why Kevin Holland was talking so much during the Derek Brunson fight despite losing
According to Aljamain Sterling, Kevin Holland was incessantly talking during his fight against Derek Brunson because he is "just happy to be making money". The UFC bantamweight champion cited Holland's urge to succeed in the fight game as the reason behind his continual verbal exchanges.
Kevin Holland lost to Brunson at UFC Vegas 22, which ended the astonishing five-fight win streak that he put together in 2020. During the fight, 'Trial Blazer' was not only trading words with his opponent, but also with recently-retired Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Sterling took to Twitter to acknowledge Brunson's superior performance, before explaining why Holland was so interested in exchanging verbal blows. According to him, Holland understands the opportunity that he is rewarded with in the UFC, for which he is grateful.
"Strong performance from Brunson tn. The man just gets better and better, at 37! Holland, IMO, is just happy to be making money. Doing what he’s doing, is a win in life for him. He’s happy to be there with a chance provide and change his life. No shame in that!" wrote Sterling.
Brunson won the fight comfortably via unanimous decision, as he conveniently dictated the fight at his will. Holland, however, did have moments of success on the feet, but couldn't materialize on them.
What's next for Kevin Holland and Derek Brunson?
Derek Brunson's win over Kevin Holland may not help him climb the ranks of the middleweight division, but the UFC veteran has successfully put the division on notice. Brunson proved that he still has what it takes to thrive in the world's biggest MMA promotion.
He has now recorded a pair of consecutive victories against two of the most promising middleweight contenders in Kevin Holland and Edmen Shahbazyan. At the post-fight interview, Brunson said that he would want to challenge Paulo Costa next, who recently pulled out of his fight against Robert Whittaker.
Meanwhile, Kevin Holland will be looking forward to bounce back after the defeat to Brunson. It should not be surprising if the Trail Blazer ends up stepping into the octagon once again within the next couple of months given that he is medically fit to compete.