Results and analysis from Thompson vs. Holland at UFC Orlando
In the main event of UFC Orlando, 39-year-old Stephen Thompson turned back the time and put on a show, overcoming an early scare and setting a fairly fast tempo against Kevin Holland.
Holland continued to advance and encountered numerous blows from the master in karate, eagerly playing into Thompson’s strategy. With the few clean shots, he managed to land, he had a clear power advantage against Thompson, but for the most part, Thompson was just taking big shots and being destroyed.
Holland had numerous opportunities to fight Wonder boy on the ground, where he has a significant edge, but he kept letting Wonder boy get up. Although the crowd cheered the brawl, it wasn’t the best strategy because it just made him more vulnerable to punishment. By the time Holland truly intended to go to the ground, it was far too late because he had already sustained too much damage to perform takedowns.
Holland continually missed opportunities to fight Wonder boy on the ground, where he has a significant edge. The crowd cheered the brawl, but it wasn’t the best course of action because it just made him vulnerable to further punishment. When Holland intended to actually fall to the ground, it was far too late because he had already sustained too much damage and was no longer capable of doing takedowns.
Respect should also be given to Holland’s team for compassionately conceding at the conclusion of the fourth round, which is still an uncommon occurrence in mixed martial arts for whatever reason. Despite his incredible chin and heart, Holland suffered severe injuries in that battle. Even if the punishment was already concerning, it might have gotten much worse if it went into the fifth round.
Rafael dos Anjos demonstrated his seasoned wisdom in the co-main event by refusing to play Bryan Barberena’s game, taking him down twice, and immediately demonstrating that he had a significant advantage on the ground. Once he had the back, he turned on the face and neck of the target to secure the tap.
Impressive victory for the former lightweight champion, who is still fighting at the age of 38 and holds the Octagon fighting record for the longest time. Conor McGregor still has a few months to rid his system of PEDs, RDA said in a nice promo while making it seem simple.
UFC For two veteran UFC fighters who are approaching 40, Orlando was a successful night.
- The main card was especially severe with all seven bouts ending in stoppages after the prelims came to a close with five straight decisions. It will be difficult to decide who to award $50,000 to. This card is another illustration of why there should be finish bonuses and established rules rather than ones that are determined at the whim of a UFC administrator.
- Roman Dolidze stood out on a card that included many unexpected finishes because he used some deft and little seen grappling against Jack Hermansson. He switched from an armbar to an inverted triangle and then to a calf crusher, flattening Hermansson and unleashing vicious blows on the helpless victim. The fact that Dolidze achieved it not only against a seasoned competitor and skilled grappler, but also on short notice, made it even more astounding. That was perhaps the first time I had ever seen a calf crusher ground and pound finish. What a way to seize the moment when Derek Brunson withdrew and move up to the top 10.
- Matt Schnell was repeatedly brought down by Matheus Nicolau, who displayed his improved striking while looking sharp and working toward a finish.
- Tai Tuivasa and Sergei Pavlovich sparred as was to be expected, yet the Russian fighter often landed first. He repeatedly injured Tuivasa, dropped him, and swarmed him to finish in under a minute. Despite Tuivasa’s valiant efforts, the flurry was too much, as Pavlovich increased his remarkable KO streak to five.
- A frantic back-and-forth battle between Phil Rowe and Niko Price was put on, with the third round alone deserving of a bonus. In the final round, both fighters came very close to being defeated, and for a brief moment, it appeared that Price, who is renowned for his resilience, would mount another comeback. However, Rowe bounced back and flipped the script once more to triumph by TKO in his hometown.