"Brunson is there. Keep focus!" - what Khabib Nurmagomedov told Kevin Holland during UFC Vegas 22 main event
Kevin Holland was at his playful best during his five-round encounter with Derek Brunson at UFC Vegas 22.
The 28-year-old middleweight engaged in a light-hearted conversation with former UFC lightweight great Khabib Nurmagomedov in between rounds. Holland, living up to his 'big mouth' persona, asked the Dagestani fighter to offer him some wrestling advice after being controlled on the ground by Brunson.
Nurmagomedov, however, appeared to have a good laugh from his exchange with Holland. The Russian responded to Holland by asking him to focus on the fight while Brunson was getting ready to resume the subsequent round.
Catch Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kevin Holland's interaction below:
UFC president Dana White recently confirmed that Nurmagomedov has put a halt to his MMA career. The former lightweight champ had announced his retirement in October last year after defeating Justin Gaethje to defend his title for the third time.
Kevin Holland loses for the first time after an extraordinary fight record in 2020
Kevin Holland fell short in a UFC fight for the first time since October 2019. 'Trail Blazer' had emerged victorious in all of his fights last year, where he also tied the record of most wins in a calendar year (5).
Looking to start 2021 on a high note, Kevin Holland had a rather forgetful outing against Derek Brunson. Although he was able to catch the 37-year-old with a series of punches while standing up, the UFC veteran proved too strong for Holland on the ground.
Brunson dominated Holland with his wrestling and emerged with a convincing decision victory. (49–45, 49–46, 49–46).
Trail Blazer will now be looking forward to getting back into the win column and cementing his position in the top 10 of the middleweight rankings. Prior to his loss at UFC Vegas 22, Kevin Holland was ranked No.10 in the division.