Daniel Cormier shares advice for Kevin Holland following his “not ideal” comments at UFC 291

By Susan Cox - August 2, 2023

Daniel Cormier is sharing some advice for Kevin Holland following his ‘not ideal’ comments at UFC 291.

Daniel Cormier

It was Kevin Holland (25-9 MMA) vs Michael Chiesa (18-7 MMA) last Saturday night, July 29th, at UFC 291.

Holland came into UFC 291 sporting a KO victory over Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-7 MMA) in April of this year at UFC 287.

Chiesa, 35, had lost 2 in a row prior to last Saturday’s fight, being defeated by Vincente Luque (21-9 MMA) in August of 2021 and Sean Brady (15-1 MMA) in November of that same year.

At UFC 291 it was to be Holland submitting Chiesa at 2:39 of round 1 to claim victory in the welterweight bout.

With the victory, ‘Trailblazer’ has moved up to #12 in the latest UFC rankings.

While the 30-year-old is not committing to staying at welterweight, Daniel Cormier is offering up some advice, encouraging Holland to stay put.

Kevin Holland

The former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, Cormier, spoke cageside about the Holland vs Chiesa fight:

“Kevin Holland had his best performance of all time. He beat Michael Chiesa; defended takedowns and then submitted Chiesa in the first round. Holland showed that since he got that full-time new wrestling coach, he can be a problem for guys at 170 pounds.”

Continuing, the 44-year-old commentator said (h/t MMANews):

“I do believe, though, that him saying he wants to go back up is not ideal, because I think at times, he’s a bit of a tweener. At 185, he was just getting (dragged) to the mats by these big wrestlers. They can’t do that to him at 170, he’s too strong. Holland, that’s your right weight class! I know it’s not fun, but I’m telling you, it will pay dividends because you will be more successful at 170 pounds.”

Do you agree with Daniel Cormier that Kevin Holland should stay put and gain success in the welterweight division?

Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!


Topics:

Daniel Cormier Kevin Holland UFC