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With UFC Vegas 23 taking place on Saturday, 3 pm eastern, UFC fans are given a treat to catch some fights early in the day. The prelims can be seen on ESPN, but then the main card will air on ABC. The main event between Martin Vettori and Kevin Holland is a highly anticipated bout, as they're two of the most electrifying fighters in the Middleweight division. Let's dig into our Martin Vettori-Kevin Holland prediction.
Martin Vettori is currently ranked sixth in his weight class. He's climbed the ranks during his four-fight win streak, securing a victory over Jack Hermansson in his last bout. The Italian fighter is known to be a ground fighter, as most of his victories by either submission or decision.
As for Kevin Holland, he just suffered a loss against Derek Brunson in March. This is the fastest turnaround for any fighter in UFC history after losing a match, proving Holland is one of the toughest fighters in the Middleweight division. He aims to regain control against Vettori but should be looking to keep this fight on the feet to secure a victory.
Let’s take a look at the sportsbooks to see what the Martin Vettori-Kevin Holland odds are regarding the UFC Vegas 23 main event.
UFC Vegas 23: Martin Vettori-Kevin Holland Odds
Martin Vettori (-350)
Kevin Holland (+275)
Over 4.5 rounds (+131)
Under (-161)
How Martin Vettori Wins the Fight
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Vettori has a legitimate Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu background. Additionally, he's a natural Southpaw, making him a complete mismatch for most of the fighters he faces off against. His last loss came against the current champion, Israel Adesanya, where Vettori lost by split decision. He's on track to have a title bout soon, but he'll have to get through Kevin Holland first.
“The Italian Dream,” likes to take fights to the ground and control the Octagon with brutal ground and pound. Due to the height mismatch, this should be his game plan. Vettori can make this an ugly fight in the clinch, taking away Holland's strengths, then take him down and dominate the fight. Much easier said than done, but Vettori has all of the tools to do it.
How Kevin Holland Wins the Fight
Holland is known to stay on his feet and puts on a show in most of his fights. He was on a five-fight win streak until Brunson mauled him in the cage back in March. “Trailblazer,” is one of those guys that just loves to fight, as all five of his fights during his win streak took place in 2020. He's building a reputation as a modern-day version of Donald Cerrone and is someone fight fans love to root for.
To win this fight, Holland has to keep his distance and use his long reach to his advantage. Brunson was able to beat him because he broke Holland's reach and kept the fight within close distance. For “Trailblazer” to improve, he'll have to adjust and prevent fighters from taking him down, as it's likely to be the blueprint to beat him. If Holland can use his jab and leg kicks to keep Vettori at bay, he'll have a solid chance at winning this matchup.
Martin Vettori vs Kevin Holland Prediction
Based on the tendencies of both fighters, this one is likely to go the distance. Holland will do everything in his power to keep his distance while Vettori will do the exact opposite. Vettori is going to follow Brunson's game plan we witnessed a month ago, and it's possible Holland hasn't had enough time to make the right adjustments for it. Vettori should be able to get past Holland's defenses and make this one a grueling fight.
UFC VEGAS 23 Martin Vettori-Kevin Holland PREDICTION: Martin Vettori wins by Unanimous Decision.
