UFC London: Kevin Holland vs. Gunnar Nelson: Live round-by-round updates
Gunnar Nelson looks to extend his winning streak against the streaky Kevin Holland at UFC London.
Holland has produced mixed results during his UFC tenure, establishing a promotional record of 13-10 (one no-contest).
Heading into Saturday's UFC event, the 32-year-old is coming off consecutive first-round losses against Roman Dolidze (injury) and Reinier de Ridder (rear-naked choke submission).
The opponents aren't getting any easier for Holland, as he's now looking to bounce back against Nelson.
The Icelandic welterweight hasn't been active inside the Octagon, with only three fights since September 2019. He has won his last two appearances against Takashi Sato and Bryan Barberena.
UFC London will take place inside the O2 Arena. The preliminary portion starts at 1:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. CT / 10:00 a.m. PT on March 23, with the main card beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. PT.
Holland vs. Nelson is the third fight on the main card. The bout should begin at approximately 6:15 p.m. ET/ 5:15 p.m. CT / 3:15 p.m. PT.
Stay tuned for live coverage of Kevin Holland vs. Gunnar Nelson below.
Kevin Holland vs. Gunnar Nelson
Round 1:
Kevin Holland vs. Gunnar Nelson is underway. Holland opens up with a leg kick. Holland is pushing forward and dictating the pace early. Nelson is throwing out rhythmic feints looking to time Nelson's movements.
Holland is attempting to strike at range. Holland's kicks are controlling the range. Nelson perfectly timed a takedown and put Holland on his back. Holland rolled over and attempted to secure a submission.
Nelson stood up and Holland was still hanging on to his arm. Nelson started laughing as Holland refused to let go in an awkward position.
Holland returned to his back. Nelson is on top but hasn't secured consistent control due to Holland's movements. Holland is landing small strikes from the bottom. Nelson is taking his time and waiting for Holland to make a mistake.
Nelson is finding a home for his short elbows. Holland threw several upkicks. Nelson jumped down into side control. Holland scrambled from the position and returned to his knees.
Holland floored Nelson with a straight right. Holland followed up with ground and pound. Nelson somehow survived the round.
Round 2:
Kevin Holland seems to smell blood in the water. Holland charges forward and attempts to overwhelm Gunnar Nelson with pressure. Holland has his opponent pushed up against the cage in a standstill.
Holland is finding success with his low kicks. Nelson attempts to close the distance by grabbing Holland. Nelson has Holland pushed on the fence. Holland displayed solid takedown defense and managed to stay standing.
Nelson set up another takedown but failed to take Holland to the ground. Nelson continues to take Holland down against the cage. Nelson lands a takedown and secures the top position with two minutes left.
Nelson hasn't landed any significant damage. Holland is throwing light punches from the bottom. Nelson might not be fully recovered because he's not capitalizing on his advantageous position.
Round 3:
Gunnar Nelson has shown signs of heavy fatigue. Both fighters explode forward and potentially clash heads. Nelson is grabbing on to Kevin Holland and eating a garage of knees and elbows.
Nelson drops down for a takedown and pushes Holland against the cage. Nelson secures the takedown and lands into full mount. Holland pushed off the fence and exploded out temporarily to establish guard.
Holland throws several upkicks from the bottom. Nelson finally lands two big punches from the top. Holland shells up and Nelson transitions into an arm triangle. Nelson is starting to squeeze tight.
Holland is staying calm. Nelson moved his legs to the right side. Holland exploded out at the perfect time and escaped. Holland has Nelson pushed against the cage. One minute left. The fighters separate.
Holland lands another knee up the middle. Nelson has Holland pushed against the cage. Holland reverses the position. Thirty seconds left. We're going to the scorecards.
Official Result: Kevin Holland def. Gunnar Nelson by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)