Kevin Holland‘s fight last weekend was canceled just before he was set to walk out. Now, the middleweight prospect has a new opponent and a new date.
Holland will meet UFC newcomer Joaquin Buckley at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik on Saturday in Las Vegas, sources confirmed to ESPN.
MMA Junkie was the first to report the news.
Holland was scheduled to fight Trevin Giles last Saturday night to open the UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan main card in Las Vegas. But Giles fainted right before he was set to walk out to the Octagon. The bout was scrapped by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) and Giles was taken the hospital. Giles said Monday that he has a heart irregularity and will be seeking an appointment with a cardiologist.
Holland (17-5) has won four of five and is coming off a 39-second TKO over Anthony Hernandez in May. The 27-year-old Texas native sports a 4-2 UFC record. Buckley (10-2), a 26-year-old St. Louis native, has won two straight.
“Holland could not have had a better attitude,” UFC president Dana White said last weekend, referring to Holland’s fight cancellation. … “I’m excited to see him come back and fight.”