After Brutal Brawl, Kevin Holland Makes His Case to Jorge Masvidal Fan Donald Trump and Dana White With Picture-Perfect KO at UFC 287
Follow Us
The UFC 287, which made its return to Miami after two decades, justified the fans’ expectations of flashy knockouts and high-paced action. The event on April 8 afforded the fans fireworks and fighters the chance to celebrate success and move up in the ranks. Further, the Saturday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami, headlined by the grudge match between arch-rivals Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya, also offered fighters a shot at redeeming their career.
UFC star Kevin Holland, who hit a slump in the form in his previous two fights, faced another UFC fighter, Santiago Ponzinibbio, with a tumult record. However, it was the American fighter who steered his career with a staggering win.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Notably, the ‘Trailblazer’ picked up the win in a back-and-forth fight via an impressive knockout in the third round.
What happened in the fight at UFC 287?
Holland started in an orthodox stance and used his reach and footwork to land some hard punches and kicks. Ponzinibbio tried to cut the reach advantage and dropped multiple low kicks effectively. However, the 30-year-old’s jabs and kicks worked wonders, and his long-range weapons drained his opponent’s energy and kept his opponent at bay.
On the other hand, Ponzinibbio put pressure to counter Holland’s left kick and combinations. Interestingly, the 23-9 record holder exchanged a few words with Ponzinibbio in the first round and did a good job of defending his chin. A knockout scar almost caught up with ‘Argentine Dagger’ towards the dying seconds of round 1 after meeting with a spinning back fist.
Trending
Insider Blames Alleged “Laundering” Behind Floyd Mayweather’s Dubai Fiasco as Gervonta Davis’ Claims Get Debunked Post NBA Visit
May 04, 2024 03:07 AM EDT
Insider Says Mike Tyson Is in the Same Situation as Conor McGregor – “Biggest Fear Is…”
May 04, 2024 08:10 PM EDT
How Did Francis Ngannou’s Son Die? All We Know So Far About 15-Month-Old Kobe’s Death
April 30, 2024 12:32 PM EDT
MMA News Roundup: Conor McGregor Calls for “Lifetime Ban” on Ryan Garcia, Alex Pereira Says Jiri Prochazka Next, Jon Jones Confirms Interest in ‘Poatan’ & Tom Aspinall
May 03, 2024 11:15 AM EDT
“Literally Some Random Loser”- Jon Jones Finally Breaks Silence on Latest Controversy, Faced With Serious Allegations
May 02, 2024 07:40 PM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest UFC stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
In round 2, the Argentine fighter’s camp wanted him to maintain the pressure to cancel the long-range weapons that won Holland the first round. Both the fighters exchanged blows and Holland did a job of coming up at the top with his left punch in exchanges. However, the legs landed on his shin, giving him trouble. In addition, Holland’s most effective weapon remained the jabs that hurt Ponzinibbio on multiple occasions. Also, Holland’s sharpened takedown skills also kept the fight on the feet where he edged his opponent.
Coming into the final round, Holland relied on the same strategy that had won his first two rounds. The 36-year-old looked compromised with the leg kicks and Holland exploited the same throughout the round. While Ponzinibbio checked a leg kick, Holland caught him lacking and followed with a right jab and then a left punch that ended the fight in a picture-perfect moment.
Fans expressed exhilaration at the splendid knockout.
How did the fans react to the knockout?
He doin big things @Trailblaze2top
— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) April 9, 2023
Good stoppage by Miragliotta. Ponzi was done! Holland is very tough and has continued to sharpen up his striking.
— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) April 9, 2023
Holland gets the knockout. Lead hooks remain the most dangerous weapon in MMA
— MMA Gone Wild🥋 (@mmagonewild) April 9, 2023
"Hey Jorge if you don't retire after Gilbert gets done whooping your ass tonight, I'd love to get that BMF belt." – Kevin Holland #UFC287
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) April 9, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
What a left hook from Holland after it appeared he injured his right hand. He needed that big time.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 9, 2023
“That Guy Comes Out of Nowhere”- After Leon Edwards’ Scathing Remarks, Gilbert Burns Expresses Displeasure Over Colby Covington’s Title Shot Announcement
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
What do you think of this exciting fight at UFC 287? Let us know in the comments below.
Watch This Story – “Once he comes back, it’s over”-UFC World Reacts To Latest Colby Covington USADA News