Drama Erupts Backstage at UFC 307 as Injured Kevin Holland & Roman Dolidze Get Into Ugly Mess

The clash between Roman Dolidze and Kevin Holland came to an anti-climatic end in the first round. The MMA community was left worried when Holland suffered a rib injury and yelled out in pain. Though he got through the first round, his coaches decided that he shouldn’t continue the contest and made the call to stop the fight, handing Dolidze the win.

The bout began with both fighters feeling each other out before Dolidze performed a takedown when he bulldozed into his opponent and landed on top of him. He continued to land blows after blows while trying to break Holland’s guard. But something snapped when Holland tried to roll out and execute an armbar. 

The ‘Trailblazer’ was in immense pain as the horn declared the end of the first round. He stood up with his fingers pointing at his chest and revealing the injury. The American fighter’s corner was left with no choice but to throw in the towel after the realization hit that he had suffered a severe rib injury. While things seemed fine inside the octagon after the abrupt finish, all was not well once they got backstage.

Famed MMA journalist, Aaron Bronsteter took to X and wrote, “Just spoke with Roman Dolidze who mentioned that there was an altercation with Kevin Holland backstage after their fight.” He continued, “He said that he thought Holland’s emotions were just running high after the loss and called it “MMA drama.” Dolidze was also asked about the backstage incident during the post-event press conference and what went down.

Answering the question, he said, “I will tell from my point of view how I was raised. I will say I hope he did that because he was upset from losing fight and I hope I will have an opportunity to speak with him and understand well what he exactly wanted.” Dolidze was then asked did Holland seemed angry in the cage when they spoke after the fight was cut short.

The middleweight fighter answered, “At all nothing. You know so he told me after that he was upset that I was happy to win and celebrating victory, but it was more about crowd, that was booing, nothing about him.” While the details of what exactly happened between the two fighters are not out yet, it is likely things did get heated to an extent, given that Dolidze is eager to clear the air with his American rival.

Following this win, Dolidze is clear about his next goal. He confirmed that he wants to fight in December and said he would like to face either one of Khamzat Chimaev or Robert Whittaker after the two face each other at UFC 308 on October 26. With back-to-back victories to his name, Dolidze will be confident of a bigger showdown down the line, but the manner of his win still left some lingering questions.

The highly anticipated fight coming to a sudden end and the manner of Dolidze’s win may not have sat well with many fans watching UFC 307. Some were even eyeing the bout as a potential Fight of the Night contender, with both fighters known for their finishing capabilities and exciting styles.

Both fighters were coming off a win and the manner in which their contest ended would have upset a few fans. However, the Georgian had no such qualms and maintained that a win was a win.

Dolidze was asked, “Is there a little bit of unsatisfaction when it ends that way?” He simply answered, “Honest answer, no.” The fighter then added, “A win is win. That’s honest answer. And I don’t want to create a beautiful image, but it is how it is. We all get something happen with us like I have tore biceps tore chest a lot of different crazy injuries. I know how it is.”

Still, the disappointment of the early finish was shared by many others in the fighting community, and one of the voices that criticized Holland was none other than Conor McGregor.

Conor McGregor bashes ‘Trailblazer’ on social media

As soon as the American’s corner stopped the bout, all eyes were glued on to Kevin Holland. While most in the fighting community were shouting prayers for the middleweight fighter, ‘The Notorious’ took a jibe at him.

In a now-deleted tweet, the Irishman wrote, “Didn’t even f*cking try? Nah that is ridiculous! Go out again and see how it is. If folds up again then you end it with the towel. Nah that’s not it for me folks. Holland is a solid veteran he well should have went out and gave it a shot to see how he was. Wrong move.”

Needless to say, ‘Mystic Mac’ received quite a bit of backlash from the fans for his words, as many pointed out to his UFC 264 stoppage against Dustin Poirier after the Irishman suffered a leg injury.

While Dolidze dismissed the idea of a rematch, it will be interesting to see if Holland is able to convince UFC or him for another go, given his disappointment at how his recent outing went.

Do you think the outcome of the fight would have been different if the fighter wasn’t injured? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.