Daniel Rodriguez scored a massive upset at UFC 318, defeating Kevin Holland in an incredible back-and-forth war.
It was Holland who walked into the bout as a heavy favorite, but Rodriguez flipped the script in the second round, clocking Holland with a big right hand 60 seconds into the stanza. Following Holland down to the mat, ‘D-Rod’ delivered some solid ground-and-pound, but ultimately decided to force Holland back to his feet.
That decision proved to be a wise one as Rodriguez once again connected with a right hand, sending Holland to the canvas once again. This time, Rodriguez spent a little more time on the mat with Holland before forcing ‘Trailblazer’ back up.
With some time to recover, Holland landed a takedown late in the round and started to swing the momentum back in his favor. However, Holland wasn’t completely out of the woods as he appeared to be struggling with some sort of eye injury.
Holland mounted an impressive comeback in the third, connecting with an uppercut that sat ‘D-Rod’ down. Holland dropped some big bombs on the mat before Rodriguez scrambled his way back up. Holland continued to pour it on, once on the feet and rocking Rodriguez with a right hand against the fence.
‘Trailblazer’ tried to finish things with an elbow, but Rodriguez ducked under and dragged Holland to the mat, mounting him immediately. Rodriguez landed some shots, forcing Holland to explode off his back.
As Holland attempted to scramble his way up, Rodriguez nearly caught him in a d’arce choke. Holland defended, but ended up on his back just before the final seconds ticked off the clock.
Official Result: Daniel Rodriguez def. Kevin Holland via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Check Out Highlights From Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez at UFC 318:
