UFC Oklahoma City loses Kevin Holland from lineup
· Yahoo Sports
The injury bug has sunk its teeth into UFC Oklahoma City, removing one of the biggest stars from the card less than two weeks away.
Kevin Holland has withdrawn from his UFC Fight Night 281 welterweight bout vs. Jacobe Smith that was scheduled for July 18 at Paycom Center due to an undisclosed injury. The UFC is actively seeking a replacement.
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Two people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the lineup change but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. X user @realkevink was first to report.
Holland (29-15 MMA, 16-12 UFC) has been one of the UFC's most active fighters since his promotional debut in 2018. He recently told MMA Junkie he hopes to fight at least eight more times to tie Donald Cerrone for third-place all-time in appearances. Holland most recently competed in April when he defeated Randy Brown by unanimous decision and snapped a two-fight skid.
A standout wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Smith (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) transitioned into MMA with some assistance from fellow alum Daniel Cormier. He quickly became one of the most highly-touted prospects in the United States and further enhanced his game with coach Sayif Saud at Fortis MMA. Thus far in the UFC, Smith has three finish wins in as many appearances. Those came against Preston Parsons, Niko Price, and most recently, Josiah Harrell.
The updated UFC Oklahoma City lineup includes:
- Dricus Du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman
- Jared Cannonier vs. Christian Leroy Duncan
- Jacobe Smith vs. TBA
- Chase Hooper vs. Mitch Ramirez
- Fatima Kline vs. Tabatha Ricci
- Tommy McMillen vs. Alberto Montes
- Dione Barbosa vs. Anna Melisano
- Austin Bashi vs. Jose Delgado
- Seok Hyeon Ko vs. Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani
- RJ Harris vs. Alvin Hines
- Felipe Franco vs. Levi Rodrigues
- Alden Coria vs. Stewart Nicoll
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Oklahoma City loses Kevin Holland from lineup