Update – Kevin Holland made quick work of Michael Kiesa, submitting his opponent in the first round.
UFC 291 will open its main card with a welterweight bout between Michael Chiesa and Kevin Holland. The main card will air as an ESPN+ PPV at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City at 10 p.m. ET.
Chiesa is 18-6 and making his return to the octagon for the first time in nearly two years. He last fought in November 2021, when he lost a unanimous decision to Sean Brady at a UFC Fight Night event. Three months prior to that he lost via first-round submission to Vicente Luque at UFC 265.
Holland heads into this bout with a 24-9 record with one no-contest. He last fought in April, knocking out Santia Ponzinibbio in the third round of their UFC 287 bout. He was 2-4 with his one no-contest in the seven bouts prior to that.
Holland is favored to win in this bout with -140 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. The favored outcome is a Holland win by KO, TKO, or DQ at +140. A Chiesa submission win follows at +330 and a Chiesa decision win follows at +350.
We’ll be providing live updates throughout the fight with round-by-round scoring until a winner is determined.