The five-round middleweight main event of Saturday's UFC Fight Night card is one that could easily be viewed as nothing more than a crossroads bout. Holland has been emerging as a rising star, going 5-0 in 2020 with four stoppage victories. Brunson is nearly a decade older at 37 years old and rarely discussed with the enthusiasm so many express over the future of Holland.
But reading a little further into the fight reveals that Brunson is far more than a gatekeeper -- a term with unfair connotations -- at 185 pounds. Brunson may actually be one of the greatest fighters to ever fill that role.
Of Brunson's seven career losses, only one came against a man to never challenge for or hold a world title in the UFC or Strikeforce. Meanwhile, heavily-hyped fighters like Ian Heinisch and Edmen Shahbazyan have failed when matched with Brunson.
Still, Holland has been aggressive in his pre-fight trash talk, telling Brunson to accept his role as a gatekeeper.
"Honestly, if someone's definition of a gatekeeper is being relevant for many years ... I mean, you have guys who are 36, 37, 32 who nobody pays attention to," Brunson told "Morning Kombat." "I'm always fighting at the top. Fair enough. It depends. What do you call a guy like Johny Hendricks? Is he a gatekeeper? He was a champion, but at one point he lost seven or eight in a row. What is that? I'd rather be in the position where I am forever than fall and never be able to recover. When I'm done with this fight game, I want to go out with a lot of fight left, not fighting at my worst."
Holland's impressive five-fight winning streak in 2020 culminated with a knockout victory over Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza in December, tying him for the UFC record of five wins in a calendar year. With four knockouts and three Performance of the Night bonuses, it did nothing but build the confidence of an already brash young fighter.
For Brunson, that confidence from Holland is fine. He's carved out a nice niche for himself beating men just like Holland.
"Anybody has the hype. Bring them to me and I'll take care of that," Brunson said.
The co-main event on Saturday was expected to mark the return of lightweight Gregor Gillespie as he took on Brad Riddell. However, that fight was called off on Saturday because of COVID-19 protocols. Gillespie, 34, saw his undefeated mark come to a stunning end in his last fight in November 2019 when he was stopped emphatically by Kevin Lee. Prior to that, Gillespie had amassed a 13-0 record with six knockouts and five submissions.
Another featured bout has a familiar face in the heavyweight division taking center stage. Fan favorite Tai Tuivasa is back in action when he faces newcomer Harry Hunsucker. Tuivasa, 28, ended his three-fight losing streak in 2020 with a knockout win over Stefan Struve. Tuivasa was originally scheduled to face Don'Tale Mayes, but Mayes was removed from the card for undisclosed reasons during fight week.
Here's the fight card for UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas with the latest odds from William Hill Sportsbook.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
Kevin Holland -175 | Derek Brunson +150 | Middleweight |
Cheyanne Buys -360 | Montserrat Ruiz +280 | Women's strawweight |
| Adrian Yanez -220 | Gustavo Lopez +180 | Bantamweight |
| Max Griffin -210 | Song Kenan +175 | Welterweight |
| Tai Tuivasa -380 | Harry Hunsucker +300 | Heavyweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: March 20 | Start time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: UFC Apex -- Las Vegas
TV Channel: ESPN | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Prediction
Derek Brunson vs. Kevin Holland: Holland has been very impressive in 2020 -- there's little doubt of that. And beating Souza, a fighter Brunson has lost to twice, is a good note on which to walk to the Octagon on Saturday. Still, few fighters are able to break fighters down like Brunson. Rewatching the fight with Shahbazyan showed just how good he can be at weathering attacks, pressing forward and using a grinding grappling style to wear out fighters before finishing them off. The fight ultimately comes down to whether Holland can finish Brunson with strikes early in the fight. Brunson is prone to being stopped, but when a fighter doesn't get the job done quickly, he slowly takes over fights.
Only two men have won a decision against Brunson -- the legendary Anderson Silva and Kendall Grove, who won a split decision in a 2012 fight that Brunson took on short notice. Look for Brunson to be patient in the early stages of the fight, letting Holland do the work and waiting for openings to pressure the younger fighter in clinch work against the cage. Midway through the fight, if Holland's gas tank is running low, Brunson will take over and run away with the fight. Pick: Derek Brunson via TKO4
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