Kevin Holland left it late to find a big knockout finish against Santiago Ponzinibbio tonight at UFC 287.
Round One:
Holland with a light leg kick. Now a side kick to the midsection. He lands a punch as Ponzinibbio moves back into range.
Jab for Hollands and a low kick for Ponzinibbio. Another side kick for Holland and another kick now. Inside low kick for Ponzinibbio.
Again Ponzinibbio lands the inside calf kick. Grazing left hook for Holland. Ponzinibbio with another low kick and slips afterwards.
Inside leg kick from Holland. Now an oblique kick. Body punch for Ponzinibbio. Head kick attempt from Holland is blocked.
Body kick for Ponzinibbio. Holland pumps out the jab. Ponzinibbio comes charging forward trying to land hooks, but Holland mostly backs away out of reach from that.
Low kick for Ponzinibbio and Holland responds with two of his own. Ponzinibbio just coming up short with straight punches.
Holland with punches as Ponzinibbio goes back to the low kick. Punch series from Ponzinibbio partially gets through.
Inside leg kick for Holland. He mixes in a couple of body kicks and Ponzinibbio grabs his leg and looks for punches. Holland lands a backfist from that position though that drops Ponzinibbio for a brief moment close to the end of the round.
Round Two:
Holland feeling out with the jab to start the second round. Low kick from Ponzinibbio partially lands.
Stepping jab for Holland. he lands an inside leg kick. Body kick from Ponzinibbio. Grazing right hand from Ponzinibbio.
Oblique kick from Holland and one to the body. Ponzinibbio back to the low kick. Leg kicks from Holland.
Left hook from Holland. Low kick from Ponzinibbio. Right hand gets through for Ponzinibbio and then blasts the inside of the leg again.
Glancing left hook for Ponzinibbio and back to the leg kick. Leg kick from Holland is checked. elbow from Ponzinibbio after Holland almost caught a kick.
Jab for Holland. Heavy outside leg kick from Ponzinibbio. Front kick to the body from Holland.
Exchange of punches at closer range and first it’s Ponzinibbio who lands better, but then Holland blasts him with his own punches. Ponzinibbio attempts a takedown, but Holland shakes it off.
Elbow strike from Holland. Ponzinibbio comes close with punches, but Holland is able to lean back to avoid them and then gives two thumbs up to someone outside the cage.
Round Three:
Holland pumps the jab. Leg kick from Ponzinibbio but eats a counter punch from Holland. Calf kick for Ponzinibbio.
left hand from Ponzinibbio. Back to the leg kick and Holland looked a bit unsteady on that leg after that connection.
Holland back to working the jab from range. He lands a leg kick. Body kick from Ponzinibbio. Another leg kick from Ponzinibbio and slips afterwards.
Jabs exchanged. Another solid low kick for Ponzinibbio. Hard hooks from Ponzinibbio. Calf kick again. Light inside calf kick from Holland. He lands a push kick to the head.
Body punch for Ponzinibbio. Inside leg kick from him. Front kick upstairs from Holland misses. Push kick to the body from Holland. Now a side kick attempt to the body.
Holland with a counter punch off a kick attempt from Ponzinibbio and then sends him face-first onto the canvas with a big left hook, then connects with another punch on the mat as the ref rushes in to end the fight – big KO finish for Holland at 3.16mins of the final round!
Ponzinibbio bounces back up quickly and protests the stoppage, but it looked like a fair stoppage.
