WATCH: Kevin Holland confronts Daniel Cormier about his wrestling after clinical submission of Michael Chiesa at UFC 291

Kevin Holland took on Michael Chiesa on the main card of UFC 291 which went down at the Delta Center in Utah on Saturday night. The fight marked the number 12-ranked Chiesa's return to the octagon for the first time since November 2020.

Meanwhile, Holland was looking to build a winning streak, fresh off a TKO win over Santiago Ponzinibbio in April. 'Trailblazer' put on a phenomenal showing, displaying a previously unseen grappling skillset.

'Trailblazer' looked composed, throwing sneaky uppercuts up the middle as Chiesa tried to change levels. When 'Maverick' finally caught him against the cage, Holland defended the takedown masterfully, winning the underhook battle despite almost being lifted off his feet.

Kevin Holland landed a flush knee to Chiesa's chin during a clinch, dropping 'Maverick' to the canvas. 'Trailblazer' proceeded to wrap up Chiesa in a D'Arce choke, forcing a tap at 2:39 of the opening frame. This was the third time that Chiesa tapped out to a D'Arce choke in his career.

Catch the finish below:

KEVIN HOLLAND SUBMITS CHIESA IN ROUND ONE FOR A RANKED WIN AT 170 #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/xSCOdhxDGk

Holland gave credit to his now full-time wrestling coach before taking Daniel Cormier's opinion about his performance at UFC 291. Cormier, as expected, had high praise for 'Trailblazer'.

Watch the interaction below:

Kevin Holland asked DC about his wrestling defense 🤣 #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/bKjS4LyFQ5

Kevin Holland seems to have come a long way from the time his five-fight win streak was snapped by a lopsided decision loss against Derek Brunson. Holland would go on to be outgrappled by Marvin Vettori as well, all the while seeking cageside wrestling advice from 'DC' and even Khabib Nurmagomedov. 'Trailblazer' is now on a two-fight win streak, topped off by a ranked win over a decent grappler.