Kevin Holland stated he's open to avenging his losses but drew a hard line at facing Khamzat Chimaev again, firmly declining any rematch offer. Meanwhile, Brendan Allen, who previously claimed he would dominate Chimaev in a fight, visited Chimaev's training camp for sparring sessions with results shown on video. In other news, Carlos Ulberg announced he wants Magomed Ankalaev for his first title defense, Paulo Costa rose to number seven in the light heavyweight rankings and called out Josh Hockett for a BMF belt fight, and Sean O'Malley expressed difficulty dealing with Jiri Prochazka's recent loss. The post also included footage of a college wrestling match between Bo Nickal and Josh Hockett, showing a slimmer version of Hockett from his earlier days.
Kevin Holland has publicly ruled out a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev, even as he indicated a general willingness to avenge other losses on his record. Holland drew a firm line specifically at Chimaev, making clear the fight is off the table for him regardless of any offer that might come his way.
The news arrives alongside an intriguing development involving Brendan Allen, the fifth-ranked middleweight contender. Allen, who is 26-7 and 30 years old, had previously made bold claims about how a fight with Chimaev would go in his favor. He then backed that confidence up by visiting Chimaev's training camp for sparring sessions, with footage of the sessions circulating on video. Allen, who fights out of Kill Cliff FC, brings a well-rounded game to any room he enters, averaging 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside a 53 percent striking accuracy.
Elsewhere in the light heavyweight division, second-ranked Jiri Prochazka, the 33-year-old Czech fighter who carries a 32-6-1 record and a punishing 5.69 significant strikes per minute, recently suffered a loss that Sean O'Malley acknowledged has been difficult to process. Carlos Ulberg also made his divisional ambitions known, calling for a title defense against Magomed Ankalaev.
Paulo Costa has entered the light heavyweight conversation in his own way. The Brazilian striker, ranked 13th in the middleweight division at 35 years old with a 16-4 record, has moved up and now sits at number seven in the light heavyweight rankings. Costa, who lands 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, called out Josh Hockett for a BMF belt fight. Adding context to that name, footage from a college wrestling match featuring Bo Nickal against a noticeably slimmer, younger Hockett also made the rounds online.
Why it matters
- Holland's refusal closes the door on a potential Chimaev rematch, narrowing the welterweight and middleweight contender picture
- Allen sparring Chimaev directly tests the credibility of his stated confidence ahead of any potential booking
- Costa's move to light heavyweight and a call-out of Hockett adds another crowded subplot to a division already sorting itself out around Ulberg's title defense
