Jack Della Maddalena narrowly edged out Kevin Holland by split decision tonight at UFC Fight Night 227.
Round One:
Both fighters a little short with their first punches of the fight. Maddalena with a leg kick. Maddalena with a short flurry of punches at close range.
Leg kicks exchanged. Jab for Holland. Maddalena with a leg kick. Inside leg kick from Holland. Missed hook from Maddalena and then goes to the body.
Left hand and then a right behind it from Holland. Maddalena able to close the distance and rip a couple of punches to the body.
Both fighters warming up to the action here. Maddalena working some nice strikes inside and Holland tries to match him, but came off second-best in that exchange.
Leg kick from Maddalena. Counter-punch lands from Holland. Body punch from Maddalena but eats a counter to the head from Holland.
Push kick from Holland. Maddalena in close landing to the body again and then trying to come upstairs.
Kick to the back of the leg from Maddalena as Holland turned his back. Leg kick from Holland, but Maddalena checks it.
Right hand from Holland. Maddalena trying for a head kick as the round ends.
Round Two:
Leg kick for Maddalena. Maddalena pressing forward looking for punches but Holland backs off.
Push kick from Holland. Left hook from Holland. Body kick for Maddalena. Body kick from Holland now. Holland with a couple of hooks.
Holland feels out with the jab. Maddalena with a punch over the top. Oblique kicks from Holland. Body kick for Maddalena.
Holland with a series of jabs as Maddalena lands a leg kick. Maddalena with a flurry that doesn’t connect and Holland lands a counter punch. Kick to the body from Holland.
Nice right hand from Holland. Head kick attempt from him behind some punches comes off the guard. Nice right hand from Maddalena now.
Jab for Maddalena. Big swing and a miss on a hook from Holland. Maddalena with some heavy body punches and goes upstairs too nicely.
Leg kick from Holland. Punches off the guard from Holland. Holland bursts into a takedown and Maddalena does well to stuff that.
leg kick for Maddalena. Head kick attempt from Holland. Body punch from Maddalena. Solid right hands land for both men at the same time.
Holland catches a leg kick and tries to knock Maddalena off-balance, but he stays upright as the round ends.
Round Three:
Leg kick for Maddalena. Push kick from Holland. He lands that again. Right hand gets through for Maddalena. He unleashes a brief flurry of punches.
Leg kick from Holland. Inside leg kick from him now. He tries a spinning kick that misses. Punches come off Maddalena’s guard. Body kick.
Holland throws a spinning elbow off a left hand from Maddalena. Inside leg kick from Holland. Two nice right hands in a row land for Maddalena.
Maddalena firing off another flurry and some don’t land but a couple do. leg kick from Holland. Body punches from Maddalena.
Inside leg kick for Holland. Leg kick for Maddalena and Holland tries to punch over the top of that. Holland swatting at Maddalena but not finding the mark. He lands a push kick. He punches to the body now and tries to go upstairs.
High kick attempt from Maddalena. Side kick to the body from Holland. A one-two lands for Holland, but Maddalena connects on a left hook.
Elbow attempt from Holland. Right hand for Maddalena. Leg kick from Holland. A couple of punches from Holland graze the target. Maddalena darts in with a quick combination of punches to the head and body. Final elbow and a punch from Maddalena as Holland looks for some last offense too.
Decision:
A close fight here then, but Maddalena seemed to have the better moments thanks to some nice short flurries of punches to the body and head on the occasions he was able to get inside on Holland. The judges are split on their decision, but it’s Maddalena who gets his hand raised (29-28 x2, 28-29).
