UFC welterweight star Kevin Holland’s win over Randy Brown was extremely significant for him and his family in more ways than one.
Kevin Holland snapped a two-fight skid with an impressive performance against Randy Brown at UFC 327 last Saturday in Miami. The welterweight fan favorite outpointed Brown en route to a unanimous decision victory to get back into the welterweight mix.
After recent losses to Daniel Rodriguez and Mike Malott, Holland got back on track in his career as he earned his first victory in almost a full year. It was a significant step in Holland’s quest to potentially challenge for a welterweight title before he eventually hangs up the gloves.
It turns out, Holland’s win might’ve meant more to one big member of his inner circle; his father, who has served time in prison for the UFC star’s entire life.
Kevin Holland says ‘Prison yard was going freaking crazy’ as father watched UFC 327
During a recent appearance on The Anik & Florian Podcast, Holland shared a heartwarming story about the significance of his UFC 327 win.
“Fun fact – when they told me I was going to be on the undercard…my grandfather kind of calculated it up and learned I was going to be on CBS. My grandfather lit up because he said ‘Your father is finally going to be able to watch you fight!'” Holland began.
“My father’s been incarcerated my whole life, and we have a great relationship. So it was cool that he was going to be able to see me fight. My father got on the phone with my Mom after the fight, and he said the whole prison yard was chanting ‘Holland! Holland! Holland!’. The prison yard was rumbling, crumbling, going freaking crazy in there.
“Between the guards, the inmates, everyone just loved the fact that they got to watch me fight at that time,” Holland continued. “Happy to be a fan favorite, and it’s a hell of a package.”
Holland is keeping a close eye on UFC Winnipeg this weekend as Gilbert Burns and Malott square off in the main event. The winner could potentially make a fine fit for Holland’s next opponent.
