Report – Darren Till Injured, Jack Hermansson Now Clashes With Kevin Holland At UFC Vegas 16

The highly-anticipated December 5 main event between middleweight contenders, Darren ‘The Gorilla’ Till and Jack ‘The Joker’ Hermansson has unfortunately fallen to the wayside.

According to an earlier report from ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto, fan-favourite striker, Till has been forced to withdraw from the UFC Vegas 16 headliner against the grappling ace, due to an undisclosed injury. 

In the Liverpudlian’s place steps streaking division contender, Kevin ‘The Trailblazer’ Holland who attempts to jot his name in the history books. Featuring just last weekend at UFC Vegas 12 with a massive submission to slam stoppage win over Charlie Ontiveros, Holland notched his fourth consecutive win of this calendar year. A victory over Hermansson would secure Holland’s status as the sole middleweight to lodge five wins in a calendar annum in the promotion’s history.

Last featuring at UFC Fight Island 3 at the end of July on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE – Team Kaobon mainstay, Till dropped his first loss since his November move to middleweight in a close back-and-forth five-round decision blemish to former 185-pound best, Robert ‘The Reaper’ Whittaker. 

The popular counter striker had made his middleweight birth in the co-main event of UFC 244 in November last at Madison Square Garden, and like would-be opponent, Hermansson, took home a victory over former interim chaser, Kelvin Gastelum.

Featuring in July also, former Cage Warriors gold holder, Hermansson rebounded from a UFC Fight Night Copenhagen knockout loss to Jared Cannonier to nab an eye-catching opening frame heel hook win over Kings MMA staple, Gastelum.

Along with his first-round win over Ontiveros, 28-year-old California favourite, Holland had scored other triumphs against Till’s compatriot, Darren Stewart, and knockout stoppages of recent viral sensation, Joaquin Buckley, and a May win over Anthony Hernandez.

Replacing Till on short-notice, Holland also features under the headlining bracket for the premier time in the organization since his promotional bow back in August 2018 at UFC 227. For Hermansson, the 32-year-old Swede takes main event honours for the third time in his last four Octagon appearances.