Fight of the Night: Stephen Thompson vs. Kevin Holland

Boy, oh boy, did Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland deliver in their main event. The two welterweights showcased premium striking, heart, and did it at a breakneck pace.

Holland started off fast, bringing the fight to “Wonderboy” and connecting with powerful shots that gave him the round 1 nod. Even though the judges didn’t give Thompson the first round, his kicks caused an apparent injury to Holland’s right hand – which limited Holland for the rest of the bout.

Rounds 2-4 all belonged to the karate king, as the 39-year-old started pouring on the damage. Thompson basically hit Holland with everything but the kitchen sink, but Holland wouldn’t fall until the final moments of the fourth round. Holland’s coach Bob Perez checked in on his fighter between rounds and determined that Holland was no longer fit to fight – giving Thompson the TKO victory.

It was such an impressive bounce back performance for Thompson, who really needed to have a big win after dropping his last two fights. The win proves that Thompson still has every bit of what it takes to compete with the welterweight elite.

Performance of the Night: Sergei Pavlovich

If you didn’t know, you do now. Sergei Pavlovich is absolutely the real deal and is going to find himself competing in a massive fight the next time he steps into the octagon.

Pavlovich extended his knockout streak to five straight with his sub-minute KO of Tai Tuivasa. It was an epic fight for as long as it lasted, but it was all Pavlovich.

The win firmly puts Pavlovich on a short list of the fighters who are within reach of a shot at Francis Ngannou‘s title.

Performance of the Night: Roman Dolidze

What a year for Roman Dolidze. The Georgian middleweight’s ascension has been fast and furious. Three finishes in 2022, including his short notice win over Jack Hermansson at “UFC on ESPN 42: Thompson vs. Holland” was his most impressive yet.

Dolidze faced some adversity, as Hermansson got off to a good start before Dolidze turned the tables in the second round. He was able to get a calf slicer that he turned into a ground-and-pound position. Hermansson was essentially trapped and Doldize started pouring on the punches. It was brilliant, scary, impressive and those three words might best sum up Dolidze.

This story first published at UFC.com.