Kevin Holland on UFC 256 win over Ronaldo Souza: “I hate that it had to be Jacare that I did like that”

UFC middleweight Kevin Holland picked up a KO win over Ronaldo Souza at UFC 256, but he wishes it hadn’t been “Jacare” who got knocked out.

Holland picked up arguably the biggest win of his MMA career to date when he brutally knocked Souza out in the first round with punches off his back. It was a unique knockout and extremely violent, too, as Souza’s body was contorted on the mat while Holland KOed him. It was the kind of win that officially announced Holland as a serious title contender in the UFC middleweight division, and also the kind of win that makes you wonder what Souza has left in the tank considering how devastating the KO was.

After the fight, Holland embraced Souza, and after the card, he spoke about how hard it was to knock out such a well-respected legend. According to Holland, he had a dream when he was a teenager about fighting Souza, and on Saturday night at UFC 256, the dream turned into a reality for him. Check out what Holland told the media.

“I had that dream when I was like 17 (with Jacare). He was beating the crap out of me. It’s good to actually know some jiu-jitsu and know how to make some moves work, and it’s great to make it work,” Holland said. “I was like, ‘Let me change the outlook of this (dream).’ It worked out. I’m happy the way worked out, but I hate that it had to be Jacare that I did like that, you know? Legend right there.”

For Holland, the win over Souza upped his win streak to 5-0 in 2020 and increases the odds that he will get a top-10 ranked middleweight in his next bout. For Souza, however, it’s another loss for him and at age 40 you have to wonder if this could be the end for the Brazilian, particularly with the UFC cutting 60 fighters from the roster.

What do you think is next for Kevin Holland after knocking out Ronaldo Souza at UFC 256?