In his return to middleweight on Saturday, Kevin Holland not only snapped a two-fight losing skid, he snapped the arm of Michal Oleksiejczuk right along with it.
Holland (26-11, 1 NC) rebounded from getting floored in the opening minutes by a looping left hand to snare Oleksiejczuk's right arm while on the ground just seconds later. After Holland applied a deep arm bar, referee Herb Dean jumped in to end the bout just 94 seconds in, as it appeared Holland either broke or dislocated the limb.
The 185-pound bout was part of the UFC 302 pay-per-view main card, which emanated from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Holland celebrated by hurdling the Octagon fence and sharing pleasantries with UFC CEO Dana White and former President Donald Trump, who were both seated cageside.
"Dude cracked me with a good shot and somehow we ended up on the ground. He left his arm out a little too far," Holland said. "You know the saying, 'Too out or too in.' It was just like a regular class in jiu-jitsu. I tried not to go too hard until I realized he wouldn't tap."
Oleksiejczuk, who lost his third fight over his last four, vehemently debated the stoppage despite his right arm hanging limp. But the victory was par for the course in Holland's unpredictable UFC run, which has featured big wins typically followed by bigger defeats, often on short notice.
Kevin Holland by first round submission!!!😤 #UFC302 | @Trailblaze2Top pic.twitter.com/exwJuGiwG2
— UFC (@ufc) June 2, 2024
When asked after the fight whether his future would be at welterweight or middleweight, Holland kept the same energy that he has become known for.
"That's for the organization to figure out," Holland said. "I kind of feel like I'm the best gatekeeper you guys have ever seen. I'll fight anybody up and I'll fight anybody down. I don't give a f---, just keep Kevin around."
