NEWARK, N.J. – Kevin Holland delivered one of the most brutal submission finishes in recent memory.
The fan-favorite UFC fighter defeated Michal Oleksiejczuk via technical submission on Saturday's main card at UFC 302. Oleksiejczuk (19-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) refused to tap out via armbar, forcing Holland (26-11 MMA, 13-8 UFC) to take it a step further. Although it was not confirmed, the referee stopped the bout after it appeared Oleksiejczuk's arm was broken.
Holland knew Oleksiejczuk wasn't going to tap, so he had to settle for an armbar.
“The first time I put the armbar on, I heard a pop,” Holland said during the post-fight press conference at UFC 302. “Then I didn't hear the pop again, so I was like, 'I've got to really break out.' I kept trying to do the Chihuahua scoot and got a good pull underneath it.”
“But he's very tough and he landed some good punches. I had a hunch. I fought John Phillips in my first UFC win and I had a hunch he'd be like John Phillips, but even better. I told my coaches, 'He's got some good punches and this is going to take the fight to the ground.' He landed some good punches and this is going to take the fight to the ground.”
The win allowed Holland to bounce back from two straight losses. Looking ahead, he is hopeful he can fill in for Vicente Luque when he withdraws from his welterweight bout against Nick Diaz on August 3.
“I hope Luque steps back and we can face Diaz.”
For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 302 event hub.
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