If all goes according to plan, two Dana White’s Contender Series alumni will square off this November in Brazil.
A bout between Kevin Holland (16-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Antonio Arroyo (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is being targeted for UFC on ESPN+ 22.
Following a social media post by Holland, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Junkie the bout is in the works but not a done deal at this time. The person requested anonymity as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
UFC on ESPN+ 22 takes place Saturday, Nov. 16 at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The entire card streams on ESPN+.
Holland, 26, is riding a three-fight winning streak as he enters his first bout in the country of Brazil. The Fort Worth, Texas-based fighter made his promotional debut in August 2018, following an unanimous decision victory on Dana White’s Contender Series. Even though he dropped his debut at UFC 227 to future title challenger Thiago Santos, Holland earned much praise from UFC president Dana White for his fighting style and attitude.
After he picked up his lone UFC loss to date, Holland then submitted John Phillips in November 2018, before he defeated Gerald Meerschaert by split decision in March. In his last outing, Holland earned the nod from all three judges when he faced Alessio Di Chirico in June.
Brazil’s Arroyo will be entering the bout with Holland fresh off of a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series. In the DWCS 20 headliner, Arroyo defeated LFA veteran Stephen Regman via second-round arm triangle choke.
The victory was Arroyo’s second on the series dating back to last summer. On the Brazilian edition of DWCS in 2018, Arroyo defeated Diego Henrique by unanimous decision. The 30-year-old welterweight has won five straight fights with four finishes in the stretch.
