Kevin Holland Withdraws From UFC Oklahoma City Fight vs. Jacobe Smith
The veteran was scheduled to make his 30th UFC appearance before suffering an undisclosed injury.
Kevin Holland has been forced out of his scheduled bout against Jacobe Smith at UFC Fight Night 281 after suffering an undisclosed injury. The news was first reported by Kevin K and later confirmed by MMA Fighting through multiple sources familiar with the situation.
It remains unclear whether Smith will stay on the card or whether the promotion will seek a replacement.
Kevin Holland's Return Put on Hold
Just a few months after defeating Randy Brown by unanimous decision, Holland was expected to step into the Octagon on July 18 to face Jacobe Smith in a bout that would have marked his 30th appearance in the promotion. His return will have to wait after the "Trailblazer" suffered an undisclosed injury that left him in no condition to fight next week.
Just days before withdrawing, Holland revealed he hopes to compete eight or nine more times before retiring.
What Happens Next?
With the event just days away, it remains to be seen whether the UFC will find a replacement opponent for Smith or remove the bout from the card altogether. Undefeated in his MMA career, the matchup was set to mark only the fourth UFC appearance of "Cobe" and would have been the biggest fight of his career so far.
UFC Fight Night 281 takes place on July 18 in Oklahoma City and is headlined by a middleweight clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman. In the co-main event, Jared Cannonier faces Christian Leroy Duncan.
