UFC 318 – Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez: Preview & Betting Tips

The charismatic Holland has now fully refocused at welterweight following setbacks at middleweight to Roman Dolidze and Reinier de Ridder. He’s since strung together two highly impressive wins, first dominating Gunnar Nelson over three rounds before finishing Luque with a devastating choke. 

In both outings, we saw the best of Holland; he showcased his fight IQ, explosiveness and versatility in terms of striking and proving he has a dangerous submission game. With a much bigger reach advantage, he can look to cause damage from the outside against Rodriguez, but he must be wary of the sharp and powerful counters from “D-Rod”.

Rodriguez’s southpaw stance and volume could pose problems for Holland if the “Trailblazer” isn’t able to keep the fight at range. He has a tendency to make things ugly and engage in close-range brawls, and this could disrupt Holland’s rhythm, considering Holland loves to utilise straight punches and front kicks.

Holland vs Rodriguez: Prediction & Betting Tips

Rodriguez’s high-pressure style and southpaw stance have historically given rangier fighters problems, which is exactly what Holland is. In order to neutralise this threat, Holland must use lateral movement, feints and avoid throwing single shots because this is where Rodriguez steps into the pocket and plays the catch and counter game. 

If he can keep D-Rod on the outside, his path to victory is clear. But if Rodriguez gets inside and turns this into a phone booth brawl, all bets are off.

This is a competitive fight, and I don’t like how short the odds are for Holland, even despite his clear height and reach advantage. Both men can bang, and Holland has sneaky good jiu-jitsu. Nevertheless, I really can’t see either man getting finished. I’m taking the fight to go the distance at odds of 2.50.