Kevin Holland and Vicente Luque Agree to Fight at UFC 296 Following Ian Garry’s exit: ‘Let’s Put on a show’
Kevin Holland has offered up his services for UFC 296.
The promotion’s final pay-per-view of the year was delivered an unfortunate blow when Dana White revealed that rising Irish star Ian Garry was officially out of his highly anticipated clash with Vicente Luque due to a bout with pneumonia. With only 48 hours until fight night, many assumed that the contest had been scrapped from the main card altogether.
However, UFC fan favorite and perennial trash-talker Kevin Holland offered to step in on short notice while also taking a not-so-subtle dig at Garry who has seen his fair share of controversy over the last few months.
“Here is the deal….I checked with both my wife and my gf, and they said I can fight this weekend,” Holland wrote on X. “#UFC296 #WAG.”
Getting word of Holland’s offer, Vicente Luque shared a video on social media, letting the ‘Trailblazer’ know that he’s happy to accept his challenge for UFC 296.
“So guys, I saw Kevin Holland wants to jump in to substitute for the fight Saturday night and I want to tell you guys, I’m down,” Luque said. “So Kevin, if you’re really down to come here, let’s do this. Let’s mix it up. Let’s get in that Octagon and go to war. And hey, I’m willing to do 180 so we can do it at 180, and let’s put on a show for all the crowd.”
Ian Garry’s Exit From UFC 296 Adds More Fuel to the Fire
Ian Garry has been under attack ever since reigning middleweight world champion Sean Strickland lambasted the Irishman’s relationship with his 40-year-old wife Layla Anna-Lee. More than a decade ago, Anna-Lee wrote an 11-page guidebook entitled How to Be a WAG, teaching older women how to date young athletes and celebrities.
Strickland quickly dubbed Anna-Lee as a “predator” and every attempt by Garry and his wife to defend their relationship or simply quiet the noise on social media has only exacerbated the backlash.
Garry’s last-minute retreat from UFC 296 has certainly done him no favors in quieting all the background noise.
