The final 2022 UFC Fight Night event to be hosted in front of a full-sized arena-worth of fans has it’s main event.
Dec. 3, the promotion touches down in Orlando, Fla., for the fourth time in company history. With it, the UFC is bringing a five-round welterweight main event between popular finishers [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] at Amway Center.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking, and the UFC made an official announcement of the matchup Wednesday.
Thompson (16-6-1 MMA, 11-6-1 UFC) prior to the booking expressed difficulties in finding a matchup both he and the UFC were interested in. Now that he has one, Thompson will return to action for the first time in nearly a year when he looks to snap a two-fight skid of defeats to Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns.
Holland (23-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) is booked for a return less than three months after a quick submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279. Originally scheduled to fight Daniel Rodriguez, he slid into a five-round co-main event on 36 hours’ notice. Holland subsequently teased retirement on Instagram shortly thereafter.
Wednesday, Holland posted on Instagram and implied that his retirement talk was just a ruse.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjVYPAUOgwq
The Sept. 10 loss was his first in the UFC at welterweight and snapped a two-fight winning streak of finishes of Tim Means and Alex Oliveira.
With the addition, the UFC Orlando lineup includes:
- Kevin Holland vs. Stephen Thompson
- Derek Brunson vs. Jack Hermansson
- Bryan Barberena vs. Rafael dos Anjos
- Tracy Cortez vs. Amanda Ribas
- Darren Elkins vs. Jonathan Pearce
- Matheus Nicolau vs. Matt Schnell
- Eryk Anders vs. Kyle Daukaus
- Marc Diakiese vs. Michael Johnson
- Clay Guida vs. Scott Holtzman
- Emily Ducote vs. Angela Hill
- Francis Marshall vs. Marcelo Rojo
- Natan Levy vs. Genaro Valdez
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