Kevin Holland

Overview

Six submission wins, five knockouts, and seven decision losses: Kevin Holland's UFC ledger is built from big finishes on one side and a pile of close-to-the-final-bell defeats on the other. The Welterweight stands at 16-12 in the UFC with one no contest, and 11 of those 16 wins ended inside the distance.

He's an orthodox fighter out of Squabble MMA, born in Riverside, California, and listed at 6'3" with an 81" reach. He debuted in the UFC in August 2018 and carries a one-fight win streak into his next bout. Fast starts and long nights, not steady middle ground.

UFC Career

Holland reached the UFC through Dana White's Contender Series, where he beat Will Santiago by unanimous decision in June 2018. That fight sits outside his UFC record. His UFC debut ended in a unanimous decision loss to Thiago Santos, but he bounced back with a third-round submission of John Phillips and two straight decisions over Gerald Meerschaert and Alessio Di Chirico.

The peak came in 2020. Holland won five straight, finishing Anthony Hernandez in 39 seconds, Joaquin Buckley in round 3, Charlie Ontiveros by submission, and Jacare Souza in round 1, with a split decision over Darren Stewart in between. That's his longest win streak, and Souza is one of the two elite opponents he has beaten.

Then came the main events. Back-to-back five-rounders in 2021 against Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori both went the distance and both went to the judges. A third main event, against Stephen Thompson in December 2022, ended in a KO/TKO loss at the end of round 4.

Since 2023 the results have swung hard. He finished Santiago Ponzinibbio and Michael Chiesa, then dropped a split decision to Jack Della Maddalena, an elite opponent. In 2025 he submitted Vicente Luque in round 2, then lost back-to-back decisions to Daniel Rodriguez and Mike Malott. A unanimous decision over Randy Brown in April 2026 is the win he carries forward.

Twenty-nine UFC fights counting the no contest, and almost none of them boring.

Fighting Style

Holland is a busy striker who lands often and takes less in return than most UFC fighters. He's accurate when he throws, though his defense is only about the UFC average. On the mat, he rarely shoots for takedowns, but he's tougher to take down than most.

Don't file him under pure strikers. Six of his 16 UFC wins came by submission, more than his five knockouts. His submission attempts sit around the average, so those finishes aren't a product of sheer volume. Five of his 11 finishes came in round 1.

The losses show the other side. Three of his 12 UFC losses came by submission, two by KO/TKO, and seven by decision.

Notable Wins

• Jacare Souza — KO/TKO, round 1 (1:45), UFC 256 (2020)
• Vicente Luque — submission, round 2 (1:03), UFC 316 (2025)
• Michael Chiesa — submission, round 1 (2:39), UFC 291 (2023)
• Tim Means — submission, round 2 (1:28), UFC Fight Night (2022)

Quick Facts

• Division: Welterweight
• UFC record: 16-12 (1 no contest)
• Professional record (all promotions): 29-15-0
• UFC debut: 2018
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 6'3" / 81"
• Team: Squabble MMA
• Born: Riverside, CA, United States