MMA Preview – Khamzat Chimaev vs Kevin Holland UFC 279
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KHAMZAT CHIMAEV VS KEVIN HOLLAND FACTS
When is UFC 279? Sunday 11th September, 2022 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC 279? T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 279? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 279
What channel is UFC 279 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 279? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
KHAMZAT CHIMAEV VS KEVIN HOLLAND LOWDOWN
Khamzat Chimaev (11-0) has created a circus, but a circus that everyone wants tickets for. After missing the welterweight mark by weighing in at 178.5 lbs, the main card has been rearranged and you have to say it suits the veterans Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson.
They had extremely tough fights that did not make any sense. Diaz was getting fed to Chimaev after expressing his feelings about the UFC brass and Ferguson is on a four-fight skid coming off a brutal knockout yet was paired with the power puncher Li Jingliang up at welterweight.
Chimaev is lucky to stay on the card and now has Kevin Holland (23-7(1)). He originally accepted a fight with Daniel Rodriguez on short notice which would have been a barnburner. Although he has looked rejuvenated after cutting down to welterweight, 180 lbs is perfect for him which is what he was scheduled for with ‘D-Rod’.
KHAMZAT CHIMAEV VS KEVIN HOLLAND PREDICTION
This is a very different fight for Chimaev. Holland has more dangerous tools, but this is an easier fight, on paper at least. He was expected to run through Diaz, but the veteran has the durability to drag him into the championship rounds while chipping away at him with his volume as well as having the jiu-jitsu to be a threat off his back.
Holland also has brilliant jiu-jitsu and is a threat off his back even with his hands as we saw in the Jacare Souza fight but he does not have the gas tank and has awful takedown defence. Vettori and Brunson man-handled him and we expect Chimaev to do exactly the same. The difference here is Holland’s threat on the feet.
He is 6’3” and has an 83-inch reach with knockout power. So, unlike Diaz he will be a knockout threat early in the fight. He will have eight inches on Chimaev and he has to hunt the knockout off the bat.
Chimaev will still be heavier than Holland who will not have been focusing much on his takedown defence. Chimaev also knows he has mucked up and in the UFC’s bad books so he cannot afford to take any risks by standing and trading with Holland. So, we expect him to dive in on a takedown early and face little resistance.
Holland is absolute nails and will make Chimaev work hard for a finish, but we still expect that to come in the form of ground-and-pound or a submission. Considering the odds and the fact Chimaev has not faced someone with the knockout threat of Holland, he is worth a punt for a knockout especially considering the chaos leading up to this, anything can happen.
Prediction: Chimaev via Submission - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Holland via KO/TKO
