Mike Malott vs. Kevin Holland squared off in a Welterweight contest earlier tonight (Sat. Oct. 18, 2025) live on ESPN+ inside Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for UFC Vancouver. In a competitive
fight, Malott earned the unanimous decision win.
Malott opened the fight well, blasting Holland with a handful of hard kicks. Then, he timed a hard combination off a landed kick, blasting his opponent right on the chin. Just as Malott’s momentum was rolling downhill, Holland cracked him with a counter right hand and landed in top position. Malott recovered well and used a sweep to take top position.
Holland worked back up quickly, and the two returned to center with plenty of time left on the clock. After taking a breather, Holland landed another big right hand. Inside a minute, Malott landed two low blows that stalled the action but ultimately did not cost him a point. Holland still appeared to be in serious pain when the bout resumed! Malott landed a couple good right hands but didn’t push too hard in the final minute.
Holland went back to his corner still jostling his cup around in search of relief. The doctor was brought into the cage between rounds, yet somehow the bout continued in an absolutely bizarre affair.
When the action resumed, Holland jabbed from the outside. Malott timed his overhand well, catching Holland atop the jab. The two traded hard left hooks, and Malott worked his kicks up-and-down the body. The Canadian slipped a punch and landed a cracking left hand counter from the Southpaw stance. Malott picked up the pace and landed several hard power combinations upstairs. Holland was on his bike and a little hesitant to commit to his punches after eating so many counters. Malott walked Holland to the fence and unloaded with a lovely combo, ripping the body well. Holland absorbed the damage and found a good uppercut connection in return.
The second was a clear round for Malott, but “Trailblazer” was still in the fight with five minutes remaining.
Holland opened the third with some long side kicks. Malott pressed and continued to hunt for counters, eventually exploding into a shifting combo. Two hard body kicks connected for Malott followed by a counter right hand. Holland landed some snapping jabs, then Malott landed a powerful double leg takedown into top position. After a scramble, Malott landed a heavy elbow from within the guard. He passed to half guard then started hunting the arm triangle choke. Suddenly, Malott was passed the guard and squeezing hard! The choke looked tight, but Holland managed to escape out the backdoor and scramble back to his feet.
This was a really strange bout! It’s hard to overlook the impact of the low blows and referee Dan Mirigliotta’s uncomfortable officiating. In the fight itself, however, Malott was consistently the sharper man and won most of the exchanges. He was caught a few times by Holland’s lanky right hand, but otherwise, “Proper” was in control. He landed a majority of the head shots, several hard kicks, and won the wrestling battle.
Welcome back to the Welterweight Top 15, Mike Malott.
Result: Malott defeats Holland via unanimous decision
For complete UFC Vancouver results and play-by-play, click here.
