Kevin Holland and Michal Oleksiejczuk met at UFC 302 for a clash in the middleweight division between two long-time MMA veterans.
The two fighters swung recklessly in the opening minutes of the contest. Then, Oleksiejczuk landed a punishing blow midway through round one, sending Holland to the canvas.
However, once the Russian pounced on his opponent and attempted to finish the fight, Holland expertly reversed the attack by cinching in a devastating armbar from bottom position.
To Oleksiejczuk’s credit, he refused to tap, even as Holland cranked the submission deeper, eventually bending his opponent’s arm the complete opposite way.
Fighter gets their arm broken at UFC 302 pic.twitter.com/VfTI2o7kNW
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) June 2, 2024
Whether it was the way Oleksiejczuk’s arm bent or if referee Herb Dean thought he tapped, the fight came to an end with Holland hailed as the victor.
Immediately after Dean called the match, Oleksiejczuk protested the decision, looking at the ref with a confused face. His disgust was visible as Bruce Buffer announced Holland as the winner.
Although the referee’s decision was deemed controversial by the fighter, many UFC fans watching at home agreed with the stoppage, claiming Dean saved Oleksiejczuk from himself.
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After the fight, Holland told reporters that he heard a “pop” while locking the armbar in.
"When I first put him in the armbar, I heard the pop. After that it wasn't popping again, so I was like, 'I'm going to have to do a full-blown break."Kevin Holland details his horrific armbar finish at #UFC302. pic.twitter.com/3hXHyUPwRk
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 2, 2024
Regardless of Oleksiejczuk’s objection, the technical submission result is final. It dropped the Russian to 19-8 in his MMA career, with three losses in his past four fights.
It’s been tough sledding for ‘Hussar’ lately. However, knowing Holland was on the ropes before the submission is a silver lining in this UFC 302 defeat.
As for Holland, this impressive performance marks his first win since July 2023 vs Michael Chiesa, potentially setting the 31-year-old up with a chance at making a run in the middleweight division.
Holland improved to 9-4 as a middleweight in the UFC while owning a 4-4 record in the welterweight division. Perhaps the former top contender has found a home at 185 pounds.