Kevin Holland explains episode that made him argue with Israel Adesanya at UFC Las Vegas 12

K. Holland explains how the rivalry with I. Adesanya originated. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufc

Kevin holland was one of the highlights of UFC Las Vegas 12, held on Saturday (31), in the USA, won one of the bonuses, but it wasn't just the performance that caught attention. Shortly after his victory over Charlie Ontiveros, 'Trail Blazer' was involved in a surprising argument with Israel adesanya and explained how the rivalry with the middleweight champion (83,9kg) originated.

In an interview with the North American website MMA fighting, Holland revealed that the disagreement with the Nigerian happened right after his UFC debut, in 2018, against Thiago Marreta and, although the reason is considered silly by many, it bothers him, as he felt humiliated.

See too

Borrachinha reveals he could face Whittaker for the interim middleweight belt

Challenged by Paulo Borrachinha, Whittaker refuses to face Brazilian: 'The only logical fight is Adesanya'

Whittaker denies Dana White about refusing rematch with Adesanya: 'You didn't understand what I said'

Excited about the superfight, Adesanya praises Blachowicz: 'He's a solid, strange and powerful fighter'

“I saw Adesanya sitting and thought he wanted to watch the Anderson fight. When I approached him, Adesanya knew who I was, but when I mentioned what happened in Los Angeles, he didn't remember anything. At the time, I had mentioned to my coaches that Adesanya wasn't that big and he turned around and asked what I had said. My coaches wanted me to move down to welterweight, but I didn't think I needed it. Adesanya and I have similar bodies, but he didn't like it and came to attack me. I was making my UFC debut and he wanted to take advantage. My coach told him to go to the other side and Vick held me. In my eyes, he wanted to humiliate me and I never forget it. Adesanya is good, but he's bad. This happens when you have fighters with a strong personality. I have nothing against him, but we are in the same category and we can resolve this”, said Holland.

Despite what happened, Holland praised Adesanya as a fighter and believes that his rival can expand his achievements in MMA.

“Adesanya has done fantastic things and it’s incredible that he’s fighting for the light heavyweight belt. He is an active champion and I like that. There's nothing wrong with the way he fights or what he does in the octagon, unless he's 'screwing' his opponent or doing something strange. I take my hat off and think he can beat Blachowicz. Everyone around me thinks he's one of the best fighters of all time. We’ll see what happens,” he concluded.

Kevin holland, aged 27, is one of the biggest revelations of 2020. In just one year, 'Trail Blazer' fought four fights and won them all, three of them by knockout. The athlete debuted for the UFC in 2018 and has already had nine fights for the organization.