UFC 316 star Kevin Holland made himself into a household name against Joaquin Buckley.
Years before Kevin Holland and Joaquin Buckley proved themselves as two of the most dangerous fighters on the UFC roster, they clashed in a showcase bout at the Apex with no live spectators. Despite the ominous silence of the Apex during the COVID-19 pandemic, Holland delivered a thunderous knockout that was heard around the world.
Holland and Buckley helped kick off the action on a card headlined by UFC KO king Derrick Lewis in August 2020. It was Buckley’s long-awaited UFC debut after successful stints in Bellator and LFA captured the attention of the matchmakers.
But it was Holland that stole the show when he and Buckley entered the Octagon.
Kevin Holland told Joaquin Buckley to ‘wipe his nose’ just seconds before stunning KO
Holland vs. Buckley was a firefight for as long as it lasted, with both middleweights trading heavy blows over the first two rounds. The clash ended up playing out like a kickboxing match as both fighters opted to make it a standup-heavy matchup.
In addition to his well-rounded skillset, Holland is a showman inside the Octagon, and is known for his high vocalization rate in his fights. He often attempts to have full-on conversations with his opponents mid-fight, leading to some hilarious dialogue for viewing fans.
At the beginning of Round 3, with the fight on the line, Holland warned Buckley to wipe his nose after seeing a nasty booger dripping out. While many might’ve seen Holland’s comment as a lack of focus against Buckley, it paved the way for one of the biggest finishes of his career.
Just seconds after telling Buckley to ‘wipe his nose’, Holland knocked out Buckley with one punch just over a half-minute into Round 3.
Watch Holland get the finish below.
A lot has changed for Kevin Holland and Joaquin Buckley since their 2020 fight
Since defeating Buckley in 2020, Holland has taken fights at middleweight and welterweight during his UFC tenure. He’s headlined several UFC Fight Night cards but hasn’t lived up to the initial promise of his UFC stint.
Buckley has been on an opposing trajectory since the Holland fight, and is days away from facing UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in Atlanta with a potential title shot on the line. Since making the full-time move to welterweight, Buckley has won six consecutive fights, including recent finishes of Stephen Thompson and Colby Covington.
Holland has the chance to get back on track this Saturday at UFC 316 against welterweight Vicente Luque. He’s lost two of his last three fights, but is coming off a unanimous decision win over Gunnar Nelson at UFC London in March.
Holland’s win over Buckley in 2020 shows that fans should expect the unexpected when watching his fights. Don’t be surprised if Holland dishes out another signature moment this weekend in Newark.