An upcoming UFC fight to keep your eye on this weekend is a welterweight matchup between No.12 ranked Michael Chiesa and fan-favorite Kevin Holland. This is a great clash of styles with the classic wrestler and the new-age athleticism. Paired with the Kung Fu that Holland possesses.
Read more for the betting analysis and Chiesa vs Holland prediction before making your wagers on this UFC 291 event this weekend.
Chiesa vs. Holland Information
Michael Chiesa vs Kevin Holland
Location of the fight: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Date and Time: Saturday, July 29. 10:00 PM ET main card start.
How to Watch: ESPN+
Last Fight Record
Chiesa is making his long-awaited return after suffering defeat to Sean Brady back in November of 2021.
Holland is staying active like usual. Already competing after an impressive bounce-back KO over Santiago Ponzinibbio in April at UFC 287.
Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland Betting Analysis
Michael Chiesa
Chiesa is a UFC veteran with a professional MMA record of 16-6 with ten finishes–all of which are submissions. At 35 years of age, he stands at 6’1” with a big frame for the welterweight division. Chiesa broke onto the MMA scene when he won season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter and that catapulted him into a very successful career.
“Maverick” Chiesa is a very wrestle-heavy fighter that averages only 1.88 significant strikes landed and 1.67 significant strikes absorbed per minute in the UFC. He lands 3.39 takedowns per 15 minutes in the octagon and 1.0 submissions in that time frame as well.
Kevin Holland
Holland is one of the most interesting fighters on the entire roster. He has made a name for himself by being the most talkative fighter we have ever seen in the octagon. But more importantly, because of his constant activity–fighting sometimes 5-6 times in a calendar year and putting together awesome performances.
“Trailblazer” has a professional MMA record of 24-9 with 20 finishes under his belt. He will always have a height and reach advantage down in the welterweight division. Which he uses to his advantage in both the striking game (4.12 sig. strikes landed, 2.90 sig. strikes absorbed) and in grappling with his ability to lock up submissions.
Updates
No injuries have been reported to the UFC.
Chiesa vs. Holland Betting Preview
The betting lines of this matchup are very interesting because it’s such a tough fight to handicap. Holland is coming in as the slight betting favorite at -145, and Chiesa is currently the +125 underdog.
The under 2.5 rounds total is favored with odds at -175 right now, Meaning that oddsmakers don’t think this fight will last the full 15 minutes. Chiesa is +275 to get the finish, and Holland is only +105 to do the same.
If you are looking for the Chiesa vs Holland prediction, we have to first try to figure out what the most likely outcomes are for this matchup. Chiesa has been out of the octagon for almost two years, and this fight is at a high elevation. Will the ring rust be a factor? It depends on the fighter.
Holland has struggled with wrestlers in the past. But you have to assume that has been a top priority in his training camps since being dominated by guys like Marvin Vettori, Derek Brunson, and Khamzat Chimaev. Is Chiesa on that level where Holland can’t hold his own against him in wrestling?
Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland Betting Prediction
After breaking down this fight both analytically and technically, it proves how tough it is to make correct UFC picks for fights like this. There are so many questions about how Chiesa will look. How either of them will last in the high altitude, and if Holland has the wrestling to not get dominated on the ground by Chiesa.
- The official Chiesa vs Holland prediction is that Holland finishes Chiesa inside the distance.
This fight could be 50/50 with how many unknowns there are, but you have to go with Holland to get the job done because he’s faster and more dangerous and has been so much more active.
Holland has fought five times since Chiesa last stepped into the octagon–going 3-2, with his only two losses coming to Chimaev and Thompson.
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