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Roman Dolidze walked away with a victory at UFC 307, though not under the circumstances he had hoped, as Kevin Holland sustained a painful rib injury during their bout. The fight was halted at the end of the first round, with Holland unable to continue due to the injury, giving Dolidze the win by TKO.
The injury occurred during a ground exchange when Holland attempted to escape a takedown by Dolidze. While trying to roll into a submission, Holland let out a painful cry but managed to finish the round. However, after returning to his corner, Holland informed his coaches that he had hurt his ribs, prompting them to stop the fight to avoid further injury. The official time of the stoppage was 5:00 in the first round.
Before the injury, Holland showcased his speed and range on the feet, landing strikes from the outside. Dolidze remained patient, waiting for his moment to shoot for a takedown. Once on the ground, Dolidze controlled the fight, landing punches to the head and body. To escape, Holland went for an armbar but appeared to twist his body awkwardly during the attempt, which likely caused the rib injury. Dolidze capitalized by gaining the mount position and delivering a series of strikes, although Holland blocked most of the heavy shots before the round ended.
As Holland stood up, it was clear that something was wrong, as he pointed to his ribs and informed his corner of the injury. Replays confirmed that Holland’s ribs were likely damaged during his submission attempt. The injury, coupled with the visible pain Holland was in, led his coaches to call an end to the fight.
Despite the anticlimactic finish, Dolidze continued his winning streak, marking his second consecutive victory. Following the fight, Dolidze wasted no time in calling out the top middleweights, specifically mentioning former champion Robert Whittaker and rising star Khamzat Chimaev.
“I think I’m on top of the division,” Dolidze declared. “Next fight, I want to see [Robert] Whittaker or Khamzat [Chimaev], they both are incredible fighters, winner or loser. Because I’d like both of them.”
On the other hand, Holland’s loss leaves him with a 1-3 record in his last four outings, as he continues to compete at both middleweight and welterweight.
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