The feud between UFC athletes Khamzat Chimaev and Kevin Holland doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The undefeated prospect recently claimed that he “slapped” his adversary the last time they met, something ‘Trailblazer’ refutes.
The welterweight, who has been rightfully nicknamed ‘big mouth’, due to him constantly talking during his fights, is not afraid to speak his mind, having rubbed fighters the wrong way multiple times in the past.
Outside of the octagon, the 29-year-old has most notably had an encounter with Marvin Vettori.
Kevin Holland had a few words to say about Khamzat Chimaev—whilst adhering to his media obligations—which prompted a response from the Chechen-born Swede, who questioned whether the ‘Trailblazer’ wants another ‘slap’.
“Did you forget that last slap I gave you at the hotel? Do you want one more?!”
The European’s statement forced a reply from the rangy striker, who claimed his fellow welterweight acted like a “middle schooler”. Furthermore, as per Holland, ‘Borz’ later even tried to apologize for his actions:
“Slap, lol. Boy, you pushed [me] like you’re in middle school then ran to your corners. Not to mention, you tried for a fist bump me to say sorry. You’re [lying] kid.”
The pair will most likely be present at the UFC 279 press conference as both athletes are scheduled to compete this Saturday. Kevin Holland will stand across the octagon in a brawl against Daniel Rodriguez, while Khamzat Chimaev is headlining the event in a fight-of-the-year potential brawl against Nate Diaz.
Will Khamzat Chimaev ever fight Kevin Holland?
Despite both fighting at welterweight and middleweight throughout their careers, Khamzat Chimaev and Kevin Holland are just too far apart in the rankings to realistically schedule a meeting inside the octagon any time soon.
‘Borz’ is currently the No. 3 ranked welterweight in the world, potentially one win away from contending for his first ever UFC title. While Kamaru Usman looks to be getting an instant rematch against Leon Edwards, a convincing win over Nate Diaz at UFC 279 could catapult the Chechen-born Swede to the front of the queue.
Although he has been sensational since returning to the welterweight division, Kevin Holland remains unranked and must fight his way into the top half of the rankings if he realistically wants to lock horns with the undefeated prospect.
So, while it looks unlikely that the two will meet in the center of the cage anytime soon, it is not impossible for them to be matched up in the future if results go their way.