Kevin Holland broke the third, fourth and fifth metacarpal bones in his right hand early in a loss to Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson on Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Orlando, Florida, Holland’s manager, Oren Hodak, told ESPN on Sunday.
The injury came when Holland landed a right cross on Thompson in the first round, Hodak said. Holland will see an orthopedic hand specialist Monday to schedule surgery.
Holland won the first round of the bout, but Thompson ended up taking home a TKO after the conclusion of the fourth.
Holland’s hand was clearly injured, and he was having trouble defending himself and mounting an effective offense. His coach, Bob Perez, opted not to let him come out for the final five minutes.
Holland (23-9, 1 NC), 30, a loquacious fan favorite, has dropped two straight contests following a three-fight unbeaten streak. The Texas resident has fought 12 times since 2020, the most of any UFC fighter during that stretch. He fought seven times between May 2020 and April 2021, a UFC record for one 12-month span.