MMA Preview – Kevin Holland vs Alessio Di Chirico at UFC Fight Night 154
THE FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 154? Saturday 22nd June, 2019 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 154? Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
What channel is UFC Fight Night 154 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 154? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, you can watch the fight live if you subscribe to ESPN+ now by clicking here!
Are tickets still available for UFC Fight Night 154? http://uk.ufc.com/event-ticket-info?utm_source=ufc&utm_medium=tab&utm_campaign=tickets
THE STATISTICS
THE LOWDOWN
A fascinating middleweight showdown takes place in Greenville, South Carolina with Kevin Holland and Alessio Di Chirico both on a two-fight winning streak.
Holland is coming off a dominant win, submitting John Phillips and then a much closer yet thrilling contest with Gerald Meerschaert where two of the judges gave Holland the nod.
The multi-talented Italian responded to the second loss of his career in the best possible way. After getting submitted by Eric Spicely, Di Chirico overcame Oluwale Bamgbose with a devastating knee. After this emphatic win, he also went on to earn a hard-fought split decision over Julian Marquez.
THE PREDICTION
Holland has all of the attributes to be a top contender in the middleweight division. He is a powerful striker with ferocious hand speed and standing at 6’3” with an 81-inch reach, he is a threat to anyone on the feet and is also very dangerous on the mat.
However, Di Chirico also deserves respect in the division and will not back down from the stand-up battle. The former linebacker is explosive and a dangerous striker himself, especially at close range. He has brutal ground-and-pound and will try and force the fight to the floor to inflict damage while negating the reach advantage.
They are both extremely well-rounded and aggressive and is why they are natural finishers but this has the making of a three-round scrap. As long as Di Chirico can control the distance to time his shots and be wary of Holland’s tricky submission attempts when trying to take him down, he has the technique and attrition to earn he points
Winner: Di Chirico via Decision
Striking and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric.
