Marvin Vettori is marching toward a title shot, but can a redemption-minded Kevin Holland stop him in his tracks?

This middleweight clash headlines the UFC on ABC event, scheduled for April 10. We have a preview and pick to make you the big winner on fight night.

Vettori gets a break in competition

Holland’s disappointing and deflating performance against Derek Brunson just two weeks ago is still fresh in our minds. While it is commendable he is rushing back into the octagon, he will face another no-nonsense opponent who is firing on all cylinders.

Vettori perhaps deserved the nod over Israel Adesanya when they fought three years ago, and he looked like dynamite coming in as a late substitute against Jack Hermansson.

The submission specialist is the class of the division. His offense stems from an impressive takedown game and has tremendous defense against strikes.

Holland blew his coming out party

Holland could not take anything positive from the loss against Brunson. He was cocksure, immature, and unprepared for the veteran. Following a 2020 campaign, where he went 5-0 and was setting the rankings on fire, the loss brought him crashing down to earth.

Holland couldn’t possibly have absorbed the lessons that fight would teach him, and he is going up against an opponent who can nullify his strikes and exploit his weakness in his ground defense.

Vettori is too much, too soon for Holland

If he fought Darren Till, as originally planned, Vettori would have to deal with an ugly clash of styles. But Holland is a straight-ahead bruiser, who is as stylistically complicated as a coloring book, though his athleticism could complicate things.

Barring an expedited epiphany, the Holland we saw last month is going to get smothered and swarmed in short order. Vettori’s versatility and movement is going to cause Holland fits, and if Holland isn’t taking the fight seriously, he is going to get taken to the mat and choked out.

This is too soon for Holland, and Vettori is at the top of his game. Expect Vettori to frustrate and time Holland, and eventually work him over the ground before ending things by way of a rear naked choke.

MMA free pick: Vettori (-335)