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On his official Instagram, UFC welterweight contender Kevin Holland posted a pair of fairly cryptic remarks that appeared to allude to a future retirement from mixed martial arts.
Holland, who had just participated at UFC 279, co-headlined the event against Khamzat Chimaev on short notice, losing to the Chechen powerhouse in the first round by D'Arce choke.
The loss ended Holland's streak of two victories in a row since moving up to welterweight, but the Riverside striker went into fight week anticipating a matchup with fellow Californian striker Daniel Rodriguez.
When he switched to welterweight at the start of this year, Holland defeated promotional alum Alex Oliveira and veteran Tim Means before losing to Chimaev.
Kevin Holland used the phrase "I'm out" on his Instagram account, teasing what would ultimately be a shocking departure from the sport.
“Had a good run,” Kevin Holland posted on Instagram. “30 in a little over a month, got paid, I’m out. Next career choice?”
Also on his official Instagram story, Holland posted, “Retired before 30 (salute emoji).”
With a career record of 23-8(1), Holland had participated in Dana White's Contender Series before joining the company. Prior to switching to welterweight at the beginning of this year, he only ever battled at the middleweight limit.
Holland won eight fights at the weight class, including victories over Jacare Souza, the former undisputed middleweight champion of Strikeforce, John Philips, Gerald Meerschaert, Alessio Di Chirico, Anthony Hernandez, Joaquin Buckley, Darren Stewart, and Charlie Ontiveros.
Holland had a great year in 2020, winning five fights at the middleweight limit, tying the record for the weight class, and breaking the Neil Magny and Roger Huerta records for most victories in a single year.
Given that Holland has a penchant for grabbing attention even when not competing, from publicizing matches through an OnlyFans account to his well-known vigilante adventures, it's unclear how genuine his retirement from MMA combat is.
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