Daniel Rodriguez gained massive upset at UFC 318, defeating Kevin Holland in an incredible front-and-forth war.
It was Holland that stepped into the match as an atmospheric favorite, but Rodriguez turned the script over in the second round and closed his right hand in the stanza with a big 60-second right hand. Following the Netherlands and the mat, the “D-Rod” delivered solid ground and pounds, but ultimately decided to bring the Netherlands back to their feet.
That decision proved to be a wise decision as Rodriguez would once again connect with the right hand and send Holland back to the canvas. This time, Rodriguez spent a little more time on the mat with Holland before forcing the “Trail Blazer.”
As time went by to recover, the Netherlands landed a takedown late in the round and began to look back at momentum in his favor. However, the Netherlands did not leave the forest completely as they appeared to be struggling with some kind of eye injury.
The Netherlands made the third most impressive comeback, connecting with the uppercut that sat on the “d-rod.” The Netherlands dropped a big bomb on the mat before scrambling how Rodriguez returned. The Netherlands stepped in once and rocked Rodriguez with his right hand on the fence.
“Trailblazer” tried to finish things off with his elbow, but Rodriguez fell down and dragged Holland to the mat, quickly fitting him in. Rodriguez landed several shots and forced the Netherlands to explode from his back.
As the Netherlands tried to run down his own path, Rodriguez almost caught him with a dalse choke. The Netherlands defended, but just before the last few seconds ticked the clock, he approached his back.
Official Results: Daniel Rodriguez def. Kevin Holland (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) with unanimous decision.