Kevin Holland was just too much for Gunnar Nelson. Not many were expecting Holland, the betting underdog going into the fight, to give the Icelandic grappling powerhouse Gunnar Nelson hurdles like he did for much of the three rounds. ‘Trailblazer’ nearly knocked out ‘Gunni’ in the first round, but Nelson was literally saved by the bell. Nelson rallied back well in the second, but Holland looked more dangerous in the third and walked away with a unanimous decision win.

Even Holland was a bit surprised he won, as was Joe Rogan, who was watching the fight with his friends on the UFC London JRE Fight Companion episode.

“That’s legit. Damage. He did all the damage even though Gunnar had control of him, he did the damage. Gunnar did do an arm triangle, yeah. But Kevin definitely did more damage to him. It could have been a draw. Good for Kevin. He needs it. Yeah, he’s saying I knew it could go either way,” the UFC commentator said. Rogan really likes Holland at welterweight and even floated a blockbuster rematch with the explosive Joaquin Buckley.

“That’s [170 pounds is] his spot. He’s got legit championship potential. How about a rematch with him and Joaquin Buckley at 170? That would be crazy, you know. Bro, he’s [Buckley’s] a monster at 170. He’s a monster,” he added.

But Buckley, who was watching the fight at home, was not as impressed as Rogan at Holland’s victory. “Needed W for kev but you could’ve put gunner down congrats thou #UFCLondon,” ‘New Mansa’ complained on X.

Holland, of course, tends to move up and down between 170 and 185. But one of his most memorable welterweight clashes came in 2020 against Buckley. The California native knocked down Buckley in the first round and finished him with a hard right in the third, sending ‘New Mansa’s mouth guard flying out of his mouth. But that was four years ago, when  ‘New Mansa’ was making his UFC debut. Buckley has become a very real and very dangerous contender since then, known for his own devastating knockouts. And a rematch would be a pretty good idea. But the question is– will ‘Trailblazer’ stay at 170?

What Kevin Holland wants after UFC London victory

But will Holland take Joe Rogan’s advice? ‘Trailblazer’ certainly looked pretty dangerous at 170. As far as making a push for the title is concerned, the BJJ black belt has famously said that “I’m not really the guy looking for a belt.” One of the most active fighters in the promotion, Holland is “just looking to stay active, I’m looking to fight anybody and everybody.”

And although the Texas resident admitted that he felt pretty good taking on 170-pounders, he was, as always, ready to fight next week, if required, and it at middleweight.

“I wasn’t sure which way it was going to go. Gunnar is tough as f*ck. Everybody says I can’t grapple. I can grapple pretty good as long as the guy isn’t 30 or 40 pounds bigger than me. Welterweight’s good for me as far as being a better athlete. If it’s at [170 pounds, I can fight] sometime around July would be nice. If it’s at [185], next week works,” Holland told Michael Bisping in his post-win Octagon interview.

So it seems like whom, and more importantly, which division Holland fights at is up to Dana White and matchmaker Hunter Campbell. And like Rogan, most fans are hoping to see Holland at 170 just because of how exciting a dangerous Kevin Holland would make the division. Not to mention he does have a very real pathway to a title shot there, even if he may not active be seeking it. What do you think about Joe Rogan and Joaquin Buckley’s thoughts on Kevin Holland’s UFC London victory?