Kevin Holland's list of potential opponents includes 'realistic' top-ranked welterweight, apart from Nate Diaz and Stephen Thompson
Kevin Holland is searching for his next opponent and has some names in mind. The unranked welterweight last fought in June, where he finished Tim Means with a slick D'arce choke in the second round.
Although 'Trailblazer' is interested in fighting Stephen Thompson or Nate Diaz, the matchup he sees as the most realistic is No. 9 ranked Sean Brady.
Holland has looked phenomenal since switching from middleweight to welterweight. 'Trailblazer' is now 2-0 in the division as he looks to crack the top 15 with another win. After beating Means, the 29-year-old called out Brady, whom nobody has been calling out.
During an interview with MMA Junkie, Holland had this to say about who he wants to fight next:
"He's top of the list [Thompson] because he's the one who said my name most recently after a dub. My choice, honestly, everybody thinks I would probably choose Diaz, right? I'd love Diaz. I'd love those guys because they are veterans, and they're dogs, but realistically, I love that Sean Brady fight."
Holland's primary weakness has been his takedown defense, and Brady specializes in grappling. Therefore, calling out a rising contender like the Philadelphia native is risky. With that said, one thing that the 'Trailblazer' has made apparent is that he's always down for a challenge.
Brady is an extremely strong welterweight, which Holland struggled with at middleweight. Add in the fact that the Philadelphia native is a grappler, and it makes a horrible matchup for 'Trailblazer' on paper.
Yet, Holland believes his experience at middleweight will help him at welterweight.
Watch Kevin Holland's interview with MMA Junkie below:
Kevin Holland says Marvin Vettori should be drug tested three times a week
During the same interview, the former middleweight had this to say about the strongest fighter he's faced:
"Thiago Santos probably. Yeah, Thiago Santos...Vettori was strong, strong as s**t. Drug test that guy three times a week. He was strong as hell."
Although Brady is yet to respond, the matchup makes sense for Holland. If the Philadelphia native wants the fight, one issue could be the date because he wants to fight in August and the 'Trailblazer' wants to fight in September.