It looks like Kevin Holland is ready to also keep busy in 2021.
A middleweight matchup between Holland and Derek Brunson is in the works to headline UFC Fight Night on March 20. MMA Junkie confirmed the news following a Tuesday report from UFC broadcast partner ESPN.
In a statement to MMA Junkie’s Nolan King, Holland’s manager, KO Reps’ Oren Hodak, said the bout has been agreed to, but Holland is open to taking an additional fight sooner if the opportunity arises.
“We verbally agreed to fight Brunson on March 20, but Kevin is still campaigning for January or February for an additional bout,” the statement read. “It’s no longer ‘Call Big Mouth’ when something falls through. We’re the A-side. Just put us in. Put us in the game. Put us in the fight.”
Earlier Tuesday, Holland campaigned to fill in for Khamzat Chimaev, who withdrew from his Jan. 20 “Fight Island” welterweight headliner against top contender Leon Edwards.
Holland (21-5 MMA, 8-2 UFC) impressed the MMA world with his wild 2020 campaign in which he went 5-0 in the span of a UFC-record 210 days, defeating Anthony Hernandez, Joaquin Buckley, Darren Stewart, Charlie Ontiveros, and most recently former Strikeforce champion “Jacare” Souza.
Following his knockout of Souza at UFC 256 on Dec. 12, Holland called out Brunson, who accepted the fight on Twitter.
Brunson (21-7 MMA, 12-5 UFC) last fought in August, stopping prospect Edmen Shahbazyan in the main event of UFC Fight Night 173. The 36-year-old is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.