"He tried to slap me" - Kevin Holland recalls altercation with 'GOAT' Nick Diaz
![Kevin Holland (left) and Nick Diaz (right) [Photos via @trailblaze2top & @nickdiaz209 on IG]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/12/f3b0c-16409484082454-1920.jpg?w=500)
Kevin Holland recently recalled a funny moment when he got into an altercation with Nick Diaz.
What did Holland do to elicit a negative response from Diaz? He wore the exact same shirt as the Stockton native. During an interview with Helen Yee, Holland recounted the time he almost got into a fight with the elder Diaz brother. According to 'Trailblazer':
"It's funny because in my Contender [series] fight, me and Nick Diaz were wearing the same shirt. So I guess he was mad because we were wearing the same shirt. And he tried to slap me. So it's a funny situation there, but you know, he's still the GOAT [greatest of all time]."
Holland doesn't appear to be harboring any ill will against the UFC veteran. The 29-year-old even endearingly referred to Diaz as "the GOAT" on multiple occasions during the interview.
Nonetheless, Holland is still open to fighting Diaz down the line. The No.14-ranked middleweight alluded to a potential matchup with the former Strikeforce welterweight champ, saying:
"Some of you guys out there looking for a retirement fight, I'm your guy. I'll strike with you."
Check out Kevin Holland's interview with Helen Yee:
Kevin Holland calls out Nick Diaz
This isn't the first time Kevin Holland has expressed his willingness to fight Nick Diaz. Holland, who famously used open-hand slaps on Dana White's Contender Series, recently took to social media to extend a challenge to the originator of the move.
On Instagram, 'Trailblazer' posted a side-by-side photo of himself and Diaz. The Score later reported that Holland confirmed that he's targeting a fight with Diaz. Through a text message, Holland reportedly wrote:
"I been waiting to slap the slap man since I was on Contender Series. We had a little run in. I think it’s a fight the fans will want the commentators to just shut up and listen to the punches landing and our mouths flapping."
After an uneventful run as a ranked middleweight, Holland recently announced that he's in search of a fresh start in the 170-pound division. Prior to joining the UFC, Holland mostly competed at welterweight.