It’s clear to Holland that “a smack down” on Brunson won’t be easy. Even with their verbal jabs and haymakers comes respect, as Holland quickly acknowledges that Brunson is “good at everything” and that he’s been at the top so long because he’s one of the top fighters in the division.
“Overall, when two men say a lot of things you got to go out there and figure it out,” said Holland before adding that he has some surprises in store for the UFC veteran. “They say he’s never been taken down in the Octagon, well s***, I guess I got to take him down. Makes me one of the best wrestlers he’s ever been against if I take him down, right?”
Outwrestling Brunson would be a feather in the cap for Holland, and while that sounds great, his focus remains on “putting my right hand on his face” and leaving the UFC APEX with multiple checks.
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That’s Holland’s goal every time. He honestly isn’t worried about the opponent he is facing or about the main event spotlight. That all comes with the journey.
“I will do whatever it takes to continue to fight, whether that’s going up, going down, going sideways, going around, I don’t care. I will continue to fight,” said Holland. “All the people worried about rankings and s*** like that, take the number away from my name and just let me fight bums again. I don’t care, I just want to fight.
“I make 2021 better than 2020 by not going 5-0, but by going 6-0.”
Don’t miss Holland take on Brunson at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs Holland, which airs live on ESPN and ESPN+ at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.