Kevin Holland hit Joaquin Buckley with a single punch in the first round, and then did it again to close out the show at UFC Vegas 6.
A straight right hand sent Buckley’s aggressive mouth and his body to the canvas, prompting referee Mark Smith to weigh more penalties when the UFC newcomer covered the mark 3:14 from the opening frame.
Check out the finish below.
Holland showed zero signs of excitement after the last-second cancellation of his UFC Vegas 5 fight against Trevin Giles. While the stubborn Buckley threw with every punch in front of the gates, he calmly returned fire with thrusts and kicks. Holland said a headbutt caught him early, forcing him to pay his extra defense.
Sometimes there was more movement in Holland’s lips than his body because he verbally looked at his opponent. With a high guard, he usually dodged the bombs that came his way.
Then he sent Buckley in a moment with his right hand on the canvas on an approach. The first time it arrived, Buckley jumped to his feet and remained on fire. Second, the damage was done.
“If I could have been a lot faster, I would, but he was short, so it was hard to find the things I wanted to find on him,” a cool Holland UFC commentator Paul Felder said after the fight.
Holland have now won back-to-back fights after a 39-second stop by Anthony Hernandez in his previous match. Buckley, who grabbed an enormous knockout win in LFA just a week earlier, sees a streak of two wins snap.
