On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Kicking off the main card tomorrow night at UFC 316 is a welterweight matchup with a ranking on the line. 14th ranked Vicente Luque (23-10-1) will be looking to hold onto his spot as he takes on fan-favorite “The Trailblazer” Kevin Holland (27-13).
Starting with Luque, he will be looking for his second straight win. After having a 14-2 stretch inside the octagon to get himself into serious contention a few years back, Luque went through some struggles going 1-3 in his next four getting stopped twice. While only 33, that stretch felt like someone who was near the end of their career. However, Luque made a massive statement with his first round finish of Themba Gorimbo back in December.
Kevin Holland has had such an interesting career. In 2020, he became a star in the UFC’s middleweight division going 5-0 and putting himself in the mix as a top contender. However, after struggling against bigger wrestlers, he moved down to 170 where he had solid success. However, after a split decision loss to the current champion JDM and a loss to MVP, he moved back up to 185 for three fights.
He lost his last two due to the size and wrestling which forced him back down to 170. He fought Gunnar Nelson at UFC London in March and won easily once again proving that he’s better at 170 pounds. Now, he’ll look to get himself back in the rankings at 170.
UFC 316 Prediction
If there’s anything that Kevin Holland has struggled with, it’s his wrestling defense. Holland is incredibly talented with solid BJJ and really good striking with tremendous power. However, I think because he has such good jiu jitsu, he doesn’t try that hard to defend takedowns. I think that could cause him issues in this fight at UFC 316.
In Vicente Luque’s win against Rafael Dos Anjos back in 2023, he showed off really good wrestling and the ability to control a top level opponent. If Luque is able to get takedowns in this one, I think he can easily control Holland and he has the jiu jitsu to nullify the guard of Holland.
On the feet, Luque is a very good striker but I think he’ll struggle with the range and speed of Kevin Holland. That said, I think Luque is going to be able to land takedowns in this one. He’ll get enough to win a couple of rounds and win a decision.
Prediction: Vicente Luque by Decision
More must-reads:
- Predicting the American League Manager of the Year finalists
- Eli Manning wouldn't help Giants QB Jaxson Dart with an unexpected request
- The 'Switch-hitter single-season HR leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Eli Manning wouldn't help Giants QB Jaxson Dart with an unexpected request
New York Giants legend Eli Manning has offered to be a resource for Jaxson Dart as the young quarterback adjusts to life in the NFL, but scoring dinner reservations is not what the two-time Super Bowl champion had in mind. Manning spoke about his relationship with Dart during the latest episode of "The Schrager Hour" podcast with ESPN's Peter Schrager, which was released on Thursday. Manning said that after Dart was drafted by the Giants, Manning told his fellow former Ole Miss star to reach out if Dart needs anything at all. Dart took Manning up on the offer at the start of training camp. Manning, who played behind Kurt Warner as a rookie with the Giants, thought Dart might be looking to pick his brain about backing up Russell Wilson or something else related to football. Instead, Manning says Dart wanted Eli to secure him a reservation at one of the best restaurants in New York City, 4 Charles Prime Rib. "All of a sudden it's training camp and he calls me one day and he's like, 'You got a minute?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, of course,'" Manning recalled. "It's such a similar situation we're in — bringing in a veteran like Russell Wilson, they brought in Kurt Warner (ahead of me). I was like, maybe this is dealing with that or something. "He goes, 'Can you get me a reservation at 4 Charles tonight at 6:30?' I was like, 'No, no, no, that's not part of the deal. When I said I'm happy to help out, I'm not doing that. I'm not your reservations guy. You have to earn the right to call and get your reservation.'" You can't fault Dart for trying. Dart probably hasn't accomplished enough with the Giants yet to secure a last-second reservation at 4 Charles Prime, but Manning is royalty in New York. As Manning said, hard-to-get dinner reservations have to be earned. Dart saw some brief action during New York's 40-37 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, but he did not attempt a pass. He is going to have to win a few games in the NFL before Manning will help him with fine dining.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow has a worrying complication for surgery
The timeline for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's return from a toe injury is murky, and the star has a complication that could delay his surgery, pushing back the time he can play again this season. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Burrow is set to have surgery on his toe on Friday, but that could be pushed back based on how much swelling the quarterback is experiencing. Joe Burrow's swelling is another complication for the Cincinnati Bengals A three-month recovery would put Burrow's return date around Week 16, when the Bengals are set to play the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 21. If the swelling doesn't go away soon, he could miss more time this season. Every game is precious for a Cincinnati team that entered the season believing it could contend for the playoffs. However, the Bengals will be fortunate to be in the chase for a wild-card spot without Burrow for the majority of the season. The Bengals started the season 2-0 with wins over the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, but backup quarterback Jake Browning will have his hands full in the coming weeks, starting with the Minnesota Vikings and elite defensive coordinator Brian Flores on Sunday. Browning went 21-of-32 for 241 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in the Bengals' 31-27 win over the Jaguars. The turnovers are an issue, and Cincinnati needs to consider pulling off a trade for a quarterback like Jameis Winston of the New York Giants or Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons if it hopes to make the postseason.
Kyle Shanahan has surprising Brock Purdy update — 49ers are confident in QB situation regardless
Brock Purdy missed the San Francisco 49ers' Week 2 win over the New Orleans Saints with a toe and left shoulder injury he suffered in Week 1. At the time, there was a chance that the injury could keep the quarterback out multiple weeks, but now head coach Kyle Shanahan has provided what seems to be a positive update for this weekend's game against the Arizona Cardinals. Kyle Shanahan provides key update on Brock Purdy "He wasn't limited last week," Shanahan said. "He does have a chance [to play]," Shanahan said on Wednesday, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. According to Wagoner's reporting, of the two injuries, the toe issue seems to be more significant, and it was considered the main reason Purdy didn't play in Week 2. It's similar to turf toe. He was in the 49ers' locker room after that game, though, and he told reporters that his status for the Week 3 game was, "we'll see." Connect those dots and it sounds like, at the very least, Purdy feels hopeful about his chances. If he's not fully back and able to go, he could also at least suit up and act as a backup for Mac Jones. San Francisco 49ers confident in Brock Purdy's backup If Purdy is out for the second straight week, Jones proved against the Saints that he can lead this team to a victory. The former first-round pick of the New England Patriots completed 26 of 39 passes against New Orleans for 279 yards and three touchdowns. On Monday, running back Christian McCaffrey was among the players in the locker room who expressed confidence in Jones. "In this league, whether or not you're a starter or a backup, you got to be ready to go at any point," McCaffrey said, per Wagoner. "In the NFL, you just never know. It's such a talented league and so many great players on the field. And Mac obviously is somebody who's proven himself already, but to have him as our backup is huge." Out of Alabama, Jones was selected with pick No. 15 in the 2021 NFL Draft as the "heir apparent" to Tom Brady in the final years of the Bill Belichick era in New England. He flashed talent but was never able to be consistent. He also had incredibly big shoes to fill, so a case could be made that he was doomed to fail from the very start of his NFL career. Jones started 42 games for the Patriots over three seasons, and he threw for 8,918 yards and 46 touchdowns compared to 36 interceptions. He's on a two-year, $8.4 million deal with the 49ers after spending the 2024 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
REPORT: McDaniel Threatened to Release or Trade Players in 2024
REPORT: McDaniel Threatened to Release or Trade Players in 2024 A report is out about how the 2024 Miami Dolphins season ended, and Mike McDaniel was not pleased with some members of the team. Per the ESPN.com report, in the final team meeting of the 2024 season, after the Week 18 loss to the Jets, Mike McDaniel said that anyone who wasn’t on board with what they were doing as an organization would be traded or released. And he would bring in players who would put team over self. Per the report: “IN THEIR FINAL team meeting of the 2024 season, shortly after a season-ending loss on Jan. 5 to the New York Jets, McDaniel issued a challenge to his players,” ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques wrote. “According to multiple players and team staff, the Dolphins coach stressed the importance of player-driven accountability and said that anyone who wasn’t on board could say so, and the team would either trade or release them.” There are a lot of Dolphins veterans who were on the Dolphins roster in 2024 who weren’t brought back in 2025, and some of which Miami made no offer to retain. Da’Shawn Hand Jevon Holland Jordan Poyer Anthony Walker Jr. Braxton Berrios Duke Riley Raheem Mostert Jaylen Ramsey (was traded, and we know about the issues he had with Coach McDaniel) Now, to be clear, not all of the names above were problem players. Some weren’t retained because of their quality of play on the field, salary cap reasons, or Miami having younger and cheaper alternatives on the roster. The question many would have with this report coming out now is, why did it take McDaniel until after the season ended to have this conversation with the team? And how did it get so bad over the course of the season, and thsi was never addressed? Right now, Mike McDaniel is coaching for his job in Year 4 in Miami, and it isn’t going well. While many want to see McDaniel be firmer with the team, show some emotion, and be tougher on the players, it appears that is just not his natural style, and waiting until after Week 18 to have such a meeting is very confusing.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
