Middleweight Rivals Kevin Holland And Kyle Daukaus Set To Battle For A Second Time At UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Rodriguez
A rematch between middleweights Kevin Holland and Kyle Daukaus is set for November 13 at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Rodriguez. The bout comes after their October matchup ended in a No Contest due to an accidental clash of heads at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs Walker.
In the first fight, Holland fell to the mat after the clash of heads, and Daukaus submitted Holland shortly thereafter. However, referee Dan Miragliotta determined the fight to be called a No Contest.
The matchup is a rather crucial one on the fringes of the middleweight rankings. Holland is coming off back-to-back main event losses to Marvin Vettori and Derek Brunson, and Daukaus is trying to bounce back after a decision loss to Phil Hawes. Ahead of the fight, a big story line came from Holland’s work on his defensive grappling, something he showed some improvements in during his first fight with Daukaus. Holland is Daukaus’ toughest test yet in the UFC and a chance for the Philadelphian to get a shot at the top-15.
For the always-chatty and active Holland, the fight is a chance to score his first win of 2021 after his breakout year in 2020 in which he fought and won five times in seven months.