Kevin Holland’s striking coach Durwyn Lamb shed some light on an incident involving Holland and welterweight standout Jorge Masvidal.
On Wednesday, video footage of a confrontation between the two outspoken UFC stars began making rounds on social media. Holland addressed the incident in an Instagram post before the footage was released, but offered little explanation for what caused the dispute. Thanks to Holland’s striking coach Durwyn Lamb, we now have a little more insight into what happened.
“I don’t know much about it. I just know that they did run into each other and there were some words exchanged,” Lamb said in an interview with InsideFighting. “I think the background that Kevin actually kind of liked Masvidal before that, but I think what happened was that [Kevin] didn’t like the sucker punch deal with the Leon [Edwards] stuff.
“He didn’t like the stuff with Colby Covington and it just kind of rubbed the wrong way so it kinda changes view of him. That’s kinda how that started. Some words exchanged online. Here and there, back and forth and they just ran into each other.”
Jorge Masvidal and Kevin Holland engage in hotel altercation ahead of UFC 287
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Kevin Holland Reportedly Took Issue With Jorge Masvidal’s Attacks on Leon Edwards and Colby Covington
Jorge Masvidal has established himself as a bit of a bully in recent years. Much of it started with the infamous ‘three-piece and a soda‘ incident with Leeon Edwards in 2019. Fast forward nearly four years later, ‘Gamebred’ is currently awaiting a criminal trial for allegedly attacking rival Colby Covington outside of a Miami steakhouse weeks removed from their UFC 272 contest.
According to Lamb, those incidents were the catalysts for an altercation that took place between the two fighters earlier this week.
“[Kevin] didn’t like that persona and the way he was kind of carrying himself like on some G stuff so it was kind of like, he didn’t like that,” Lamb continued. “Kind of almost a bully type of thing and he didn’t feel like that was cool.
“Sucker punching people like that, it didn’t sit right in his spirit. One thing about Kevin, he’s not shy about what he feels and what he says. What he feels is what he’s gonna say.”
When questioned about the incident during a UFC 287 panel, Masvidal said there was nothing to talk about before referring to Holland as a “d*ck-riding clout-chasing b*tch.” Holland quickly snapped back saying, ‘Naw, that’s not what you were saying yesterday. Watch your f*cking mouth.” Before things continued to escalate, UFC President Dana White put the kibosh on questioning either fighter about the incident.
“These two aren’t even fighting,” White shouted. “Knock it off. Do you have a question about the fight? Who these guys are fighting or do you guys just want to start sh*t in here?”
