Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight talents Kevin Holland vs. Mike Malott will duel this weekend (Sat., Oct. 18, 2025) inside Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for UFC Vancouver.
At this point, Kevin Holland’s wild ride is a well-known circle. “Trailblazer” fights incredibly often, allowing him to build momentum then crash-and-burn on a nearly yearly basis. In 2025, we’re coming off a recent crash, as Holland was upset by Daniel Rodriguez after entering their fight as a massive favorite. Before that, Holland was looking really sharp and won two straight at 170 pounds.
Which Kevin Holland will show up Saturday?
Malott, conversely, has been consistently impressive throughout his six UFC fights. Even in his last-second loss to Neil Magny, Malott looked like a top fighter until the closing minute! Since that defeat, Malott has won two in a row, and now he’s got a second chance to break into the Top 15.
Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:
Holland vs. Malott Betting Odds
- Kevin Holland victory: -102
- Kevin Holland via TKO/KO/DQ: +330
- Kevin Holland via submission: +500
- Kevin Holland via decision: +450
- Mike Malott victory: -118
- Mike Malott via TKO/KO/DQ: +400
- Mike Malott via submission: +300
- Mike Malott via decision: +400
- Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
How Holland Wins
Holland is an incredible talent. Unreasonably durable and with straight punches that sting like a whip, Holland definitely should be a top contender. He’s decided to chase activity and dollar bills over a golden belt though, which if nothing else makes for entertaining viewing.
This is his fifth fight of 2025.
Holland has some important advantages in this match up. Primarily, we’re talking about durability and reach. Holland holds an eight inch reach advantage and is also functionally impossible to stop via strikes, which is a definite edge in what’s likely to be a kickboxing match.
Despite the reach advantage, Holland has to press here against the powerful kicker. He wants to encourage exchanges, because Malott likes a very controlled and measured contest. He’s a technician, whereas Holland tends to thrive a bit more in chaotic fights. Holland has more experience in those kinds of scraps, so forcing Malott into that type of contest could pay off for “Trailblazer.”
How Malott Wins
Malott is a really craft kickboxer. He picks his moments, blasting power kicks then using feints to line up heavy shots both on the lead and counter. He’s a strong clinch wrestler as well, and the jiu-jitsu black belt is very quick to snatch up the neck.
In this bout, I don’t think prolonged wrestling would behoove Malott, though it’s always a nice option to keep in his back pocket. An early takedown would help alleviate pressure — which is great! — but a nonstop wrestling attack could fatigue Malott, as Holland is a great athlete who’s proven difficult to take and hold down at 170 pounds.
Instead, Malott can focus primarily on winning the kickboxing, and that starts at distance. Despite Holland’s absurd reach, he’s not an overly devastating kicker. Malott, meanwhile, kicks very hard from both stances and should be trying to take apart Holland at distance. Tenderize the calves and liver, then let Holland push forward into counter punches.
Any time the taller fighter is getting out-kicked, they’re in for a rough time. Malott has the tools to win the kicking battle and thus lead the dance, forcing Holland to give up his range advantage in the process.
Holland vs. Malott Prediction
Holland fights are always difficult to predict given his consistency issues, but the matchup overall seems to favor Malott. He should be able to pick apart Holland at distance, and if the two end up on the canvas, Malott feels like the more dangerous grappler. That’s not to say it will be easy, as Holland can definitely catch him with that long right hand and shake things up, but Malott should win more exchanges than not.
Furthermore, Holland took a ton of damage just three months ago. “D-Rod” nearly knocked him out on more than one occasion, and Holland jumped right back into camp a couple weeks later? It doesn’t feel like a great call given he’s facing a well-rounded up-and-comer with the power to hurt him.
