Extreme Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight sluggers Marvin Vettori and Kevin Holland will conflict TONIGHT (Sat., April 10, 2021) at UFC Vegas 23 inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Vettori appeared inside the Octagon at 22 years old back in Aug. 2016, showing his ability with a speedy stoppage win. The possibility took a couple serious misfortunes in the following two years, yet kept on improving, prompting his present advancement win streak. The Italian probably presently can’t seem to hit his prime, yet he’s as of now surrounding a title shot. In the mean time, Holland was 2020’s “Contender of the Year” second place, the lone man to get five triumphs a year ago. Shockingly, his headliner opportunity against Derek Brunson end up being a stinker, yet Holland can put that terrible misfortune behind him with an amazing exhibition here only three weeks after the fact.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
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Marvin Vettori
Record: 16-4-1
Key Wins: Jack Hermansson (UFC Vegas 16), Karl Roberson (UFC on ESPN 10), Cezar Ferreira (UFC Fight Night 155), Andrew Sanchez (UFC Fight Night 161)
Key Losses: Israel Adesanya (UFC on FOX 29), Antonio Carlos Junior (UFC 207)
Keys to Victory: Vettori fights like a well-trained bull. He’s always looking to unleash his powerful left hand, but the Italian attacks with a process, frequently working to out-maneuver his opponent’s lead foot to line up that cross. He’s also a rather effective wrestler with a nasty strangle game.
Brunson just composed a genuinely far reaching guide on wrecking “Pioneer,” so why not follow it? Dissimilar to Brunson, Vettori ought to have the option to contend fairly well on his feet with Holland, however there’s no compelling reason to expand those trades. All things considered, Vettori ought to pressure his adversary, pushing him toward the fence, and setting up his takedown endeavors.
Vettori is a solid Middleweight. In the event that he’s ready to acquire top position, he must be careful about Holland’s wild assaults from the base, however it ought not demonstrate a significant issue to control his more modest adversary. Truth be told, Holland’s offense from his back can really open up Vettori’s own accommodation game. In the event that he can change over Holland’s crazy assault from his back into a watchman pass, Vettori places himself in incredible situation to get a back stripped stifle or guillotine as Holland is compelled to scramble from a helpless spot.
Making Holland pay for his offense is the situation.
Kevin Holland
Record: 21-6
Key Wins: Ronaldo Souza (UFC 256), Darren Stewart (UFC Vegas 11), Joaquin Buckley (UFC Vegas 6), Gerald Meerschaert (UFC on ESPN 2), Anthony Hernandez (UFC on ESPN 8)
Key Losses: Derek Brunson (UFC Vegas 22), Brendan Allen (UFC on ESPN 6), Thiago Santos (UFC 227)
Keys to Victory: Holland is a genuine wild man. There is real skill behind both his kickboxing and grappling, but Holland fights with a looseness that can be credited for both his successes and failures alike.
Hopefully, Holland learned something from the Brunson loss. There were technical flaws to be sure, but many of his errors were mental, and therefore require more of a conscious decision to adapt than months of drilling. In short, Holland can be far more dangerous if he fights smart.
As a matter of first importance, Holland needs to make a superior showing of looking after distance. The man has a ridiculous reach and certifiable force in his correct hand. There’s no compelling reason to swarm himself, especially against a skilled grappler like Vettori.
Also, Holland needs to work more enthusiastically to stand. Inverse a solid grappler in Brunson, Holland attempted to toss strikes and entries from his back, however when his adversary was resolute, Holland appeared to run out of thoughts and acknowledge base position. In the event that he can’t get Vettori with something major early, it’s an ideal opportunity to work steadily on holding up.
Holland can do significant harm, if he gives himself a lot of freedoms to land.
Bottom Line
It’s an odd bout due to the short-notice nature of the matchmaking, but there are still real consequences for each man.
Vettori was supposed to face off with Darren Till, a highly ranked Middleweight who could have propelled him into a title shot. Instead, Vettori is fighting largely to stay busy. A win very possible sets up the Till fight once more or a similarly high-profile match up. If, however, Vettori is upset and his win streak comes to an end, “The Italian Dream” is once again several wins away from the title.
There’s a lot to lose.
As for Holland, he’s expressed an interest recently in dropping to Welterweight, so perhaps this fight doesn’t matter either way. In my opinion, however, the 6’3” striker with the 71-inch reach is likely suited for 185 pounds. If he does stick around at Middleweight, a victory here helps move him forward from the ugly Brunson loss, and it could even raise him to the Top 10.
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At UFC Vegas 23, Marvin Vettori and Kevin Holland will meet in the main event. Which man will earn the victory?
