MMA Fighting - Kevin Holland Responds to Criticism Over Last Loss to Derek Brunson, Looks Ahead to Fight Against Marvin Vettori

Episode Date: April 8, 2021

Kevin Holland addresses the criticism he received following a loss to Derek Brunson in his last outing as well as previewing his upcoming fight against Marvin Vettori in the UFC Vegas 23 main event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network. Damon Martin MMA fighting here with Kevin Holland, the man of the hour who always steps up when needed. What do they say? Call Big mouth? Big mouth answers. Kevin, welcome back, man. How's everything? Going pretty good, brother.

It's going pretty good. So, yeah. So, kind of. Yeah. So give me a sense, man. How did this whole thing come together? It seems obviously last minute, of course. until it falls out with a broken collarbone,

you immediately jumped in and said you'll take the fight. So was it that easy? Like, how did this whole thing come together? Yeah, it's that simple. You know, it's like, they say they need somebody. I'm there. It's part of being a company man. How is it, I mean, obviously coming out of the last fight,

and I'll get back to that in a second, like in terms of, in terms of your body or health, like how are you feeling coming out? I assume you must have been feeling pretty good to be able to take a fight like this on short notice. This is what we do for a living. Do it for a reason. It's my job.

That's what I was made for. When loser, draw. I'm a fighter. Fight every weekend if you need to get. It's funny. When we talk before the Brunson fight, I remember you telling me you're like, the timing, you know,

you wanted to fight sooner. You're kind of the guy who likes to stay busy, stay active, and I know you're not one to make any excuses, but like, do you feel like this is almost, in a weird way, the Kevin Holland situation, like stepping up, short notice,

one week away, main event, like, it almost feels like, This is what you're built for. Yeah, that's what I do. I step in, you know, every single time. You know, it's part of being who I am, you know. It's just what I do. It's how I was raised.

You know what I mean? Family raised a hardworking man. I'm a hardworking man. I know you had expressed after the last fight the possibility of, you know, maybe test yourself a welter away, which I know that would be a weight cut and getting down to that weight. But how, like, in terms of like this fight, like, was this just better opportunity in terms of timing? like obviously getting a guy Marvin Vittory on short notice

is the welterweight thing still possible? Yeah, I mean, you know, yeah, it's definitely, it's definitely possible, you know, it's like, I used to fight 170 pounds, I didn't know how to cut weight back then, I'm learning how to cut weight now. It's like, yeah, it's definitely possible. You know, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't,

you know, it's like, you know, a fight came up, short notice, you guys needed somebody to step in, I stepped in, you know? Had I not stepped in, you guys wouldn't have a main event for this card. What do you guys want? You want a main event for the card or do you want no main event for the card? You want a main event for the card.

So, therefore, I stepped in. There's no science behind this. So let me backtrack, Kevin, because I didn't get a chance to talk to you after the last one. I mean, listen, it is what it is. Losses happen. And what's crazy to me about that fight is everyone's saying, oh, what did Kevin do wrong? He's talking too much. Dana is saying you had a mental breakdown.

At what point do we actually give credit to Derek? Brunson for just doing a good job. I've done that the whole time. I've done that the whole time. Every time you listen to an interview or anything I've said after the fight, I said Prophs of Derek Brunson, he went out there with a good game plan and did he was supposed to do. And it's like, I'm not one for excuses.

Never have. Never will. You know, somebody gets the job done. They get the job done. He did a good job. Yeah. Does it bug you when that is the narrative after a fight that it was your, you know, somehow I mean, again, you were on a good streak.

Obviously, we know what kind of fighter you are. And listen, I understand things happen. You may make a mistake or whatever. And I understand that's part of the game. But, again, it feels like it's kind of robbing him of a victory by just, you know, everyone's trying to find out, like, why you lost. You know what I mean? No, it's not robbing him of victory.

Because at the end of the day, they're all trying to find out why I lost because they know nine times out of ten I'm supposed to beat the guy. I guess he just found the 10th time. So, you know, it's like, it's nothing wrong with them wanting to know what was going on. with quote-on-quote one of their favorite fighters. You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, it's nothing wrong with that. You know, it's like at the end of the day,

you thought Derek Brunson was supposed to beat me? No. So, you know, it's like, of course, you're going to ask, what was going on with you that night, you know? Props to Derek Brunson. He didn't be supposed to do that night. But, you know, it's like, come do that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or continue to hold me the whole night

until eventually you're not tired of holding me anymore. Then we've got to fight and then I'm going to beat the crap out of you. He did a good job. Props to him. Yeah. It's funny that, you know, one of the reasons that we all loved watching you, you know, go out there and do your thing, like when you fought Jacre, you're literally, you're on the ground with Jacare Soz and you're talking to him while you're, while you got him in your guard. And then two seconds later, you knock him out and everyone's, you know, raven and said, oh my God, this guy's crazy. He's wild.

Such a fun guy to watch. You do the exact same thing against Brunson. It just doesn't go your way and suddenly there's a problem. You know what I mean? Like, I kind of hate that narrative. Like, suddenly there's a problem. You just, you lost a fight. It happens.

I mean, you're a veteran. You know that. You told me that before the fight. You're like, hey, losses are part of the sport. I've lost before. I'll probably lose again, but you like winning better. Yeah, win, it's always fun. Two checks, you know, more girls in your inbox.

Winning's always better. So now can I expect on Saturday night, on ABC, by the way, when we're all going to be on network TV, that we're going to see the same Kevin Holland we've always seen. You're not going to try to reinvent the wheel because you lost one fight. reinvent the will no no no i wasn't trying to reinvent the will ever you're gonna see me go out there and work the job is the work you know i'm gonna go out there and work i just won't i won't let somebody lay and pray so if you're laying and praying you know i just got to move you know no wrestling

you know so that's just that's that's that's it you know it's got to work you just got to work i know how you are i know how you are with you know pretty much every opponent you're not the kind of guy to like sit here, you know, break down footage or anything. But did you like the match up with Marvin Vittori or was this more just about the opportunity in terms of stepping into a main event and getting another fight? Oh, I told you earlier, my man, there's no science behind this stuff. There's no science whatsoever. You guys needed a main event. You needed somebody to step up and fight. I'm doing that. What do you think of Marvin? I think he's a meathead who learned how to fight, and therefore it'll be a good exchange.

Now, when you look at Marvin, at least for his last few fights, he obviously seemed a lot more willing to strike with guys. Now, credit to him for getting the submission over Carl Roberson, but he typically has seen more as a striker. He did that a lot against Jackramance, and he's not, you know, typically the guy is going to go out and try to wrestle you, things like that, but what do you, like, don't get away game plan. I think we all know what you're going to try to do, but, like, what do you expect out of Marvin

in this fight? I expect him to try what seems to work. You know, it's like, I expect him to do what's in the human nature. You know, it's like, do what you think works. So, you know, it's like, whatever you guys think works, that's what he's going to try and do. You know, I lost my last fight a certain way. So obviously, everybody thinks that works. So that's what they're going to try and do.

It's like, it's simple. It's simple. It's very simple. I'm just going to fight, you know, and it's like, I hear you, I feel you, I smell you. I'm just going to fight. You know? She's simply going to. Yeah.

I know that Marvin, and if you ever pay attention, they know in Marvin's interviews. Like, Marvin, you know, obviously gets pretty amped up before his fights. Obviously, I know he has a bit of a rival with certain guys. And he kind of feeds off emotion. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I think certain people, you know, feed off emotion and it does good for them. Other people try to feed off emotion. And it kind of backfires.

Obviously, you are a guy who will, you know, have fun in there. And you don't mind getting into your. opponent said before or during during the fight even do you feel like that the mental edge could be it could be an advantage for you in this fight yeah i mean maybe you know and it's like uh it's like yeah it could be you know it's like we'll see what happens you know when i actually get there everybody says fight week starts uh when the week starts fight week they'll start until you get there you know what i mean it's time to do the job so i mean we'll see the way i look at it is is you know I want to see what Marvin can do fighting-wise.

I'm not worried about his mental and his this and that and this. And I want to fight. You know, and it's like, I don't know if everybody's catching that drift. You know, you guys want to take it off last time I did all that talking and then everybody complained. So this time, I'm going to fight. So just be happy I'm going to fight. Yeah, absolutely. You know, it's funny.

When we talked before the fight, I remember mentioning to you, you know, I said, hey, a win, you know, you're one of the only guys out there that, you know, in terms of where you're at in the, in the division that a win would put you right near a title shot and I know you're one of the only guys who hasn't fought autosania and I know you mentioned before you know you wanted to fight on as soon as much to do with the title as much as just a fight you want and you told me the title really it's not one of those things that you think about you're sitting there obsessing over like some people you just like fighting uh is that is that kind of a benefit like at what point do we start paying attention to the things you tell us Kevin because everyone's making a big

deal out of everything that happens and you keep trying to tell us you know hey I just like fighting, I just like stepping up and fighting, I just like taking these short notice fights and fighting? At what point do we start paying attention and actually believe in what you're telling us? Ah, you know, that is a very, very good question. I don't think you guys ever do. You know, it's like, I don't think anybody ever listens to Kiv. You know, that's what happened when you got that big mouth persona. Everybody thinks we're just talking just to talk.

So, you know, it's perfectly fine. They just think I'm talking just to talk, and then there'll be a few smart people that look and read it in between the lines, and then it is, what it is. But at the end of the day, goals and dreams change every day. So you never truly know what a person wants until they get to the end of the road and they got what they've gotten. And then they can tell you, hey, I wish I could have got this or I wish I could have got that. So don't pay no attention to the things that I say. Just enjoy the shit that comes out of my mouth sometimes, you know? Yeah. I'm curious. I hear this a lot. Anytime,

you know, I talk to certain guys or girls, you know, when you deal with a loss, you know, obviously you always have to worry about health, things like that. But outside of that, Most people tell me, hey, after a loss, I want to get right back in there. I want to get that win. I want to get that bad taste of defeat out of my mouth. Now, you're a guy who steps up regardless, win, loss, whatever. But is there a little extra motivation for a fight like this with that? Just, you know, want to get that bad taste, that last fight out of your mouth?

You know, I just like to fight. You know what I mean? At the end of the day, it's like that's the one thing that will never change. I love to fight. I want to get the bad taste out of whose mouth, out of the people who believe it? me in the mouth, yeah, the people who have something negative to say or always got something to say and they don't do shit to sit on the couch, I don't really care. You know what I mean? At the end of the day, it's like they don't really bother me. They don't pay my bills, you know,

the people who pay my bills, the people who, uh, lives I truly affect, not the people who's just betting a couple dollars on me because they're trying to get rich off my name. Not those people. The true people, that's what I care about. Other than that, I don't really care. You know, it's like, you know, it's like, you have to be close to me for me for me to care. A lot of these people ain't that close to me. A lot of you people don't pay my bill. A lot of these people don't have nothing that I care that's invested in to me. So, it's like, I don't know. You know, it's like, appreciate the people for tuning in, but I don't know. It's like they tune in for a good show. I gave you a good show and you still complain.

Yeah. This is a, this is a card taking place on ABC, which is a cool thing. It's a weird kind of middle of the afternoon card. But we are coming to the end of the pandemic era with cards. We're starting to see fights back. with arenas and fans. And I feel like one thing that we did appreciate in the empty arenas was the Kevin Holland era where we actually got to hear what you were saying throughout the fight. It was one of the benefits of not having a crowd there. I know this is one of the last ones without a crowd. Are you going to miss that atmosphere where we actually got to hear everything you got

to say? Or are you going to be excited to see the crowds again? Man, you know, I gave you guys Big Mouth when you needed Big Mouth. You know what I mean? I gave you guys entertainment during a pandemic. when things were bad. And I cared more about probably entertaining you guys than I should have cared about just going out there,

collecting the check and getting the win. And so, like, I don't want the ones who truly love Big Mouth to not love it anymore because I'm still going to talk. You know what I mean? I'm a talker. And Jabba Jop's always going to run his mouth. But I'll be happy when the people come back

because, you know, they can just appreciate a good old-fashioned ass woken. And that's what I'm looking for going forward to deliver a good old-fashioned asswop. Go deliver a few of those, and the people will be happy. bring the people back. We need the people. We need that energy. We need the booze. We need the yays. We need the nays. We need them all back. You know what I mean? We need hot girls in the crowd.

And guys with big belly throwing beers at us. We need it back. Bring it back, baby. With that being said, Kevin, it's kind of funny. We live in this sport where, unfortunately, I say unfortunately, because I really don't like it, is that, you know, everything in this sport is built upon what have you done for me lately? You win one fight. You are the greatest fighter in the world. Oh, my God. You're going to be the champion, all this stuff. If you lose one fight, suddenly you're a bum. You were never that good to begin with. I hate that mentality.

But coming back out of the last one, because you strike me as a guy who doesn't let that kind of stuff affect you. Am I wrong? No, it just doesn't bother me. You know, it's like I got a lot of other things to worry about than just those

fans who love you when you win and hate you when you lose. Like I said before, some people who pay the bills, the people who are truly there and that truly care. Those are the ones that matter. Other than that, you know, it is what it is. You know, it's like I get a lot of interviews right before I'm about the fight.

You know what I'm saying? I get a lot of those. A lot of the media guys are like, man, Kevin Holland's really fun. But they only hit me up right before the fight. You know what I mean? I got a few that right after I lose and stuff, they'll message me and be like, bro, tough laws, you know,

yada, yada, yada, yada, yeah. I love those guys, you know, good energy, great energy all the way around, you know. So it's like, that's kind of, like a lesson and a thing that happens with people all the way around. There are certain people that reach out to you when you're doing bad. There are certain people that only reach out to you when you're doing good. Those people don't only reach out to you when you're doing good.

Why worry about them? Worry about those people that reach out to you no matter what. Yeah. Ride or die, right? Right or die. You know what I mean? So you got to learn when to give the fire and when not to give the fire. You got to learn when to do your thing and what not to do your thing.

You know what I mean? Absolutely. Before I let you go, I know that if there was one downside of the, the Brunson fight, it was the timing. You had to wait for that fight and wait for that main event to come around. I know you're a guy who likes to stay active. You get fight number two right now, obviously right after the last one. Is there still a possibility of five or six fights for you this year?

Do you think that's still in the possibility? We're already at two and we're four months in. It has to be a possibility, right? One every other month. It has to be a possibility. There's 12 months in the year. And if I'm fighting every other month, that's six fights this year. I may not be able to go six and no, but I mean,

Five and one. I guess I'm knocking out five wins every year. Let's go. I love it. Kevin, thank you, as always, for taking the time. I know literally you're leaving for Vegas and everything, so I appreciate you doing this. Obviously, best luck in the fight.

You know, I always enjoy catching up with you, man. So best luck this weekend, and let's chat afterwards, all right? All right, thank you, man. I appreciate it. Have a good one. Talk to soon. Okay, bye-bye. You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.