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Andreas Hale, ESPN
LOS ANGELES — When Kevin Holland enters the Octagon against Reinier de Ridder at UFC 311, it will be his 24th fight with the UFC.
Holland, who has navigated between middleweight and welterweight, has fought at a breakneck pace since joining the promotion in 2018, competing no less than three times a year while going 5-0 in a remarkable 2020 campaign. Ahead of this weekend’s clash, Holland told ESPN he has no interest in competing for a world title. Instead, he has set his sights on breaking the record for most UFC fights before his career is over.
“I’m hoping to fight six times this year if they let me,” Holland said. “Maybe seven.”
Holland is tied with Neil Magny for most wins in a calendar year at five. But beyond that, he believes he can eventually overtake Jim Miller‘s record of 45 career UFC fights.
Miller is still going strong at age 41, but Holland, 32, could eventually catch up to him if he keeps his current pace of fighting three to five times a year and would reach the current mark by age 37.
“I don’t fight for world titles,” he said. “I fight for my financial lifestyle.”
Oddly enough, if Holland were to find himself in a position to challenge for a world title, he would turn it down out of concern that it would slow his pace to compete.
“There are too many politics that come with being a world champion,” he said. “I don’t need it. I never came to the UFC to fight for a world title. I came to get paid. I’ve talked to fighters who are world champions and ones who aren’t. I found out what some were making and how often they were competing. I wouldn’t make that much more fighting as a world champion, and I’d have to fight less often than I do now. It doesn’t make financial sense to me.”
Holland said he is hoping to come out of Saturday’s bout injury-free and will immediately campaign for a quick turnaround to chase his ultimate objective.
“That’s the only goal I have,” he said of surpassing Miller. “I may not have the most wins in the UFC, but I damn sure will have the most fights.”