The UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping claims that Kevin Holland gave up his fight with Stephen Thompson at UFC Orlando.
Bisping criticised Holland’s performance right after Saturday’s event. He pointed to an unfortunate sequence in the fight when the talkative, welterweight put Thompson on the floor. Holland didn’t try to cause damage but let his opponent win. Holland did it again after the fight.
” We see it all the time. People say that the first person to shoot someone is a coward. This was what Bisping stated during the UFC Orlando postfight broadcast on ESPN+. “But then guess what, people shoot, because you know what, it’s allowed in the rules. It’s a mixed martial arts contest. This was one of the first times, and maybe the only time, I’ve actually seen somebody truly live up to that.
“Kevin Holland occupied the top spot. Clearly. He was a bit confused at first. We’re going to strike. We’re going to strike.
“This is not a popularity contest in terms of, ‘Oh, everyone thinks I’m a real badass guy.’ No, you come here to win a fight. This is high stakes. Are you a potential champion? Do you want to earn a lot of money? Do you want to be known as one of the best fighters in the world, or a guy who puts on a show and possibly gives away a victory. That was not high fight IQ.”
Jon Anik, UFC commentator intervened before Bisping could elaborate. However, the criticism was reminiscent of Holland’s early days as a promoter. UFC President Dana White famously called out “Trailblazer” for being too chatty with his opponents, a knock the welterweight made light of but didn’t heed.
Holland seemed to be turning a corner after his back-to-back defeats caused a rocky start. He refocused his efforts on wrestling, and stopped talking about the octagon. The habit began to return slowly over time and was back in full force on Saturday.
Much of the time Holland and Thompson spent in the octagon together was as friendly as it was violent. They would often give each other high-fives. Holland playfully ribbed Thompson’s speed and smiled at his attacks, and Thompson returned the gesture. As the fight went on, however, the seriousness of Thompson’s work wiped the smile off Holland’s face, and as the fight went into championship rounds, he appeared to be suffering badly from the punishment he’d taken including a hand injury.
At the end of the fourth round, Holland survived a near-finish after Thompson dropped him with a punch. He sat down at the end and signaled that he could not continue. His corner then threw in his towel.
Afterward, Holland revealed that he had suffered a fractured hand during the fight’s first round. He was transferred to the hospital immediately after the event.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/12/4/23492268/michael-bisping-criticizes-kevin-hollands-ufc-orlando-performance-that-was-not-high-fight-iq?rand=96749
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