Up until this week, Marvin Vettori was scheduled to take on Darren Till in welterweight action at the next UFC Vegas 23 on April 10. Everything was going smoothly until Till pulled out of the fight on March 30. According to him, he broke his collarbone while training for the bout, meaning he had to pull out of the main event.
Most of the time, it would be hard to put together another main event less than two weeks before a show. However, Kevin Holland decided to step up to the plate, offering to take Till’s spot in the main event against Marvin Vettori.
Holland just fought Derek Brunson at a UFC Vegas 23 on March 20, which he ultimately lost. With the fight being made official, Holland has tied the record for the shortest turnaround between UFC main events at 21 days.
BetOnline has released odds on the welterweight clash. As of April 2, the sportsbook is favoring Marvin Vettori at -400.
UFC Vegas 23 General Information
UFC Vegas 23 (also known as UFC on ABC) is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 10 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The preliminary card, where there are currently nine bouts, will be shown on ESPN+.
Marvin Vettori and Kevin Holland would be the main event of the night on the main card, which will be shown on ESPN+ and ABC. The bout itself will be for five rounds.
Marvin Vettori vs. Kevin Holland Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Friday, April 2
- Marvin Vettori -400
- Kevin Holland +300
Marvin Vettori Early Favorite Heading Into Fight
It’s hard not to favour Marvin Vettori in this fight. Despite having to prepare for a different opponent in such a short time, Vettori is talented enough to pull it off. He’s won his last four fights in a row, with his last loss coming in April 2018. He lost via split decision to Israel Adesanya at a UFC Fight Night event.
Since then, Vettori has won three of his last four fights via unanimous decision. The other victory came when he defeated Karl Roberson via submission in June 2020.
Adding on to the fact that Marvin Vettori is projected to win is that he’s had more rest than his opponent. As mentioned earlier, Kevin Holland just fought in the main event on March 20. Meanwhile, Vettori has had nearly four months of rest since his last bout.
Holland Could Pull Off the Upset
No matter how much someone is favored to win, there are no guarantees in sports betting. At +300, Kevin Holland still has decent odds to pull off the upset against Marvin Vettori.
Before Holland lost to Brunson a few weeks ago, he was also on a winning streak. Holland had won five straight fights in 2020, which tied the UFC record for most wins in a calendar year. Before that loss, he scored knockout victories in four of those five fights. However, Holland was unable to overcome Brunson, losing via unanimous decision after five rounds.
If Holland wants to take a chance, he has to take the fight seriously. Marvin Vettori has done nothing but focus on this night for several months. Throwing his hat into the ring was a spontaneous move by Holland. Regardless, he needs to prepare for this fight like he hasn’t before. If he shows any signs of weakness from his previous mouth, Vettori is the type of fighter that can expose it and take him out early.
