Kevin Holland warned bettors about putting money on Nate Diaz against Khamzat Chimaev.
During an interview with Andrew Whitelaw, Holland was asked if he believed Diaz could pull off an upset in the main event of UFC 279. ‘Trailblazer’ made it clear that Diaz should never be counted out in a fight but thinks the Stockton-based fighter’s chances are slim:
“It’s Nate, bro. He’s an OG,” Holland told.
“I wouldn’t bet money on it, but… I mean if $10 can win me a thousand dollars, then I’d probably try. But other than that, you know, I’m not betting on it so…”
As things stand, Diaz is listed as a +725 underdog on multiple betting sites, leaving Chimaev as the -1,200 favorite. That means a $100 bet on Diaz would earn the bettor $750 in the event of an upset.
Holland recently made headlines for his alleged involvement in a backstage brawl that led to the cancelation of the UFC 279 pre-fight press conference. Multiple reports indicated that Holland had an altercation with Khamzat Chimaev, which later escalated after Nate Diaz and his camp got involved.
Fortunately, UFC president Dana White confirmed that no fighter was seriously hurt from the incident. He added that tomorrow’s face-offs and Saturday’s event would go ahead as scheduled but with greatly increased security.
Kevin Holland predicts outcome of his UFC 279 bout
Holland will look to capitalize on the momentum of his most recent submission win over Tim Means in June. He hopes to do so against fellow standout Daniel Rodriguez on the main card of UFC 279.
Check out Kevin Holland’s finish in the clip below:
‘Trailblazer’ has earned back-to-back finishes since dropping down to the welterweight division earlier this year. The 29-year-old intends to keep his streak alive by notching another win over Rodriguez. Asked to predict how his fight would unfold, Holland said:
“Knockout, you know what I mean? I like to bounce back and forth between knockout and submission, knockout and submission. In a perfect world, a real mixed martial artist can bounce back and forth between the two.”
Catch our exclusive interview with Kevin Holland below: