On March 20, Kevin Holland (21-5-0) and Derek Brunson (21-7-0) will clash in the main event of UFC Vegas 22, the next Fight Night event on the UFC’s calendar. The fight will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
While neither man has won UFC gold yet, this fight could propel them up the middleweight rankings. Currently, Brunson is No. 7 while Holland is No. 10. Despite Brunson being ranked higher, he’s not the favorite entering the fight. BetOnline is listing Holland at -163 to leave UFC Vegas 22 victorious on Saturday. Meanwhile, Brunson’s odds stand at +143.
What this means is that you’d have to bet $163 on a Holland victory to win $100. Meanwhile, if you bet $100 on Brunson to win, you’d win $143 if he’s successful.
UFC Vegas 22 Main Event Odds: Holland vs. Brunson
Odds via BetOnline as of Wednesday, March 17
- Moneyline: Brunson +143 vs. Holland -163
- Over/Under: Over 2.5 rounds (-110), Under 2.5 rounds (-120)
Odds Say Holland Will Win at UFC Vegas 22
Kevin Holland isn’t projected as the favorite to win on Saturday for no reason. He fought five times in 2020 and won each of those fights. Those five victories tied the UFC record for most wins in a calendar year. Holland is also coming fresh off of a first-round knockout victory over former Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza at UFC 256.
Holland’s breakout performance in 2020 has given him all the momentum in the world leading up to UFC Vegas 22. Meanwhile, Brunson hasn’t fought since August 2020. It will be interesting to see how the 37-year-old looks in comparison to Holland.
Four of Holland’s last six fights have last two rounds or less, so take that into account when betting on the Over/Under.
Brunson Trying to Extend Own Win Streak
Despite not fighting in over seven months, Derek Brunson will try to extend his win streak to four as he takes Holland on at UFC Vegas 22. His last victory came over Edmen Shahbazyan via knockout at UFC Vegas 5. Heading into that fight, Shahbazyan was undefeated. That goes to prove that you can’t count Brunson out despite what the sportsbooks are saying.
It seems as if it’s been Brunson’s role to face newer fighters like Holland at this stage in his career. When he lost back-to-back fights in 2018, some people thought that his career may be over sooner than later. However, Brunson managed to bounce back and string together three wins in a row.
It will be interesting to see how Brunson holds his own against Holland at UFC Vegas 22. Holland is riding a momentum wave like no one else is in the UFC. He’s going to want to prove that being many publications breakout fighter of 2020 wasn’t a fluke. Meanwhile, Brunson is going to want to prove that he isn’t a washed-up UFC veteran. Even at 37, he’s still beating younger talent and if he defeats Brunson on Saturday, he could be one step closer to a middleweight title bout.
