MMA Preview – Michael Chiesa vs Kevin Holland at UFC 291
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MICHAEL CHIESA VS KEVIN HOLLAND FACTS
When is UFC 291? Sunday 30th July, 2023 - 00:00 (UK)
Where is UFC 291? Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 291? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 291
What channel is UFC 291 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 291? 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!
MICHAEL CHIESA VS KEVIN HOLLAND LOWDOWN
Michael Chiesa (18-6) has not won a fight since January 2021. That was a unanimous decision over Neil Magny to cap off a quality four-fight win streak. He submitted Carlos Condit (2018) and also outpointed Diego Sanchez (2019) and Rafael dos Anjos. However, injuries and losses to Vicente Luque (2021 – submission) and Sean Brady (2021 – unanimous decision) have deprived him of that winning feeling.
Kevin Holland (24-9(1)) has fought eight times since Chiesa’s last win. It has been quite the rollercoaster going 3-4(1). After finishing Alex Oliveira (2022) and Tim Means (2022) he got ragdolled and submitted on short notice by Khamzat Chimaev (2022) and then took a five-round beating on the feet from Stephen Thompson (2022). He then went into a fight with Santiago Ponzinibbio (2023) with a hand that was still broken but still managed to pull off a third-round knockout.
MICHAEL CHIESA VS KEVIN HOLLAND PREDICTION
Fighting Holland after 20 months out off the back off two losses is a very tough ask. He will still be confident his grappling will get the job done and his wrestling is good enough to take him down at will.
However, Holland is even longer, more powerful and he is a much better striker. His takedown defence is mediocre, but his jiu-jitsu is also high level, especially off his back and he will be eyeing up the four submission losses in Chiesa’s loss column.
Holland can make this look easy with a quick knockout or submission after being taken down. However, we are not sure sure his hand has fully covered and he will break if Chiesa is able to pin him down and run down the clock.
We feel Holland is an even better fighter than his record suggests and his activity will be important in being able to conduct the tempo in the first round or two. He can get Chiesa out early, but the wrestling is a worry so the underdog is the smart pick.
Prediction: Holland via KO/TKO
Value bet: Chiesa via Decision
