Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson meets Kevin Holland in the welterweight main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Orlando, Florida.
The event is the UFC’s annual “Fight Like Hell” Night, dedicated to the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund, established in memory of the ESPN personality who died of cancer in 2015. Scott had a strong connection to mixed martial arts and even trained during the time of his treatment. Viewers can support the campaign with donations to the V Foundation for Cancer Research by going here.
The fights at the Amway Center are on ESPN and ESPN+, with the 10 p.m. ET main card preceded by prelims at 7 p.m.
Thompson (16-6-1) has lost two fights in a row, most recently a unanimous-decision defeat against Belal Muhammad last December. Nonetheless, Thompson is No. 8 in the ESPN welterweight rankings.
Holland (23-8, 1 NC) is also coming off a loss, falling by first-round submission to Khamzat Chimaev in a short-notice booking in September.
Among the other fights on the card is a top-10 heavyweight matchup between Tai Tuivasa and Sergei Pavlovich.
About the V Foundation
1:16
Scott Van Pelt describes the love Stuart Scott had for MMA and how the UFC will honor Scott with a “Fight Like Hell” event to help the V Foundation.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded by the late ESPN analyst and college basketball coach Jim Valvano with one goal in mind: to achieve victory over cancer.
Since its formation in 1993, the V Foundation has awarded over $310 million in cancer research grants nationwide and has grown to become one of the premier supporters of cutting-edge cancer research. Due to generous donors, the Foundation has an endowment that covers administrative expenses.
UFC fight fans can make donations by going here.
How to watch the fights
Watch on ESPN. Download the ESPN App | WatchESPN | TV schedule
Watch on ESPN+: Get ESPN+ here.
Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access.
There’s also FightCenter, which offers live updates for every UFC card.
UFC fight card
ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET
Welterweight: Stephen Thompson vs. Kevin Holland
Welterweight: Bryan Barberena vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Men’s flyweight: Matheus Nicolau vs. Matt Schnell
Heavyweight: Tai Tuivasa vs. Sergei Pavlovich
Middleweight: Roman Dolidze vs. Jack Hermansson
Middleweight: Eryk Anders vs. Kyle Daukaus
ESPN/ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET
Welterweight: Niko Price vs. Phil Rowe
Strawweight: Angela Hill vs. Emily Ducote
Lightweight: Clay Guida vs. Scott Holtzman
Lightweight: Michael Johnson vs. Marc Diakiese
Men’s featherweight: Darren Elkins vs. Jonathan Pearce
Women’s flyweight: Tracy Cortez vs. Amanda Ribas
Lightweight: Natan Levy vs. Genaro Valdez
Men’s featherweight: Marcelo Rojo vs. Francis Marshall
Strawweight: Yazmin Jauregui vs. Istela Nunes
Reed Kuhn’s betting tip
Holland will be the aggressor, but Thompson has made a career of counterstriking while evasively circling. We could see a lot of that early on while Holland learns to close the distance. Thompson has the higher knockdown rate and will be a threat throughout, but Holland’s pace could win the rounds. I liked Holland as an underdog early on, but odds have flipped and his price continues to increase.
For Kuhn’s suggested bets on the main event and other fights on Saturday’s card, check out the ESPN+ expert picks and best bets article (link below). It also features analysis by MMA X Factory coach Marc Montoya and ESPN’s other betting expert, Ian Parker.
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UFC Fight Night: Expert picks and best bets for ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson vs. Kevin Holland