Kevin Holland vs Khamzat Chimaev Prediction: Big KO expected?

In what is one of the biggest last-minute fight card changes in UFC history, Khamzat Chimaev will now be facing Kevin Holland in a Catchweight bout in the co-main event, but what are we expecting to happen during the bout?

Chimaev was originally scheduled to face Nate Diaz in the main event of the evening, before he hit the scales at 7 pounds over the 170-pound limit, prompting the MMA company to make a last-minute booking against Holland.

This is an absolutely huge opportunity for Holland, whose hype has dropped significantly after an incredible run for the company during the behind-closed-doors era of 2020, winning 5 fights in the space of 8 months.

Here are our predictions for Kevin Holland vs Khamzat Chimaev in the co-main event of UFC 279 on Saturday, September 10th 2022.

Read More: UFC 279: Date, Announced Fight Card, Location and more

Chimaev enters this contest as the heavy favourite, with the official UFC odds giving him -580 compared to Holland’s +440.

On paper, Chimaev should be entering this contest in ‘better’ shape than his opponent, at least in terms of cardio prep. Holland was originally scheduled for a 3 round bout, whereas Chimaev has been preparing for 5 rounds for some time.

Despite this being the co-main event, the UFC has confirmed that this will in fact be a 5-round fight, so Chimaev ‘should’ have the advantage in the cardio department.

Something that is massively important to consider is the mental changes that both men will have coming into this fight with around 24 hours’ notice. Chimaev was preparing for an older Diaz, potentially looking to utilize his speed over the veteran.

Holland poses a different type of threat, and despite the heavy odds against him, he is still a fantastic fighter who