UFC welterweight star Kevin Holland will look to hand one of the division’s hottest young stars his first career defeat this summer.
Kevin Holland won’t have to travel far from his native Fort Worth, TX, as he looks to continue a high rate of fighting activity in 2026.
Holland returned to the win column with an impressive win over Randy Brown at UFC 327 last month. After back-to-back losses to Daniel Rodriguez and Mike Malott in 2025, Holland was in a tough spot in the stacked UFC welterweight division’s title picture before his win over Brown.
The 33-year-old Holland still has plenty of time to go on another potential title run at 170 lbs. As the UFC prepares for its first event in Oklahoma City in years, Holland will reportedly be a big part of the card against one of the division’s rising stars.
Kevin Holland vs. Jacobe Smith added to growing UFC OKC card
As first reported by X content creator @RealKevinK, Holland will face Dana White’s Contender Series alum Jacobe Smith at UFC OKC on July 18th. As of this writing, the UFC hasn’t officially announced the full card for the upcoming event.
Smith returns to the Octagon following three stoppage wins to begin his UFC career. He most recently knocked out Josiah Harrell with vicious ground-and-pound at UFC Houston.
Smith earned a UFC contract with a brutal knockout of Christien Savoie on DWCS in October 2024. He’s 11-0 in his MMA career with nine stoppage wins. Before transitioning to MMA, Smith was a standout wrestler at Oklahoma State University, which is just outside of Oklahoma City.
The full fight card for UFC OKC is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Rumors are swirling that former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will headline the card opposite Kamaru Usman.
What is your early prediction for Kevin Holland vs. Jacobe Smith? Let us know in the comments!
