It was a fight UFC matchmakers had tried to make multiple times prior and when it finally came to fruition, it proved worth the wait. Daniel Rodriguez and Kevin Holland came to blows Saturday at UFC 318 and those in attendance at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans were treated to an all-time-wild brawl.

The 38-year-old Brazilian was a decorated commodity in the Bellator promotion, and his octagonal arrival was well-hyped but ultimately disappointing after a sleepwalk of a three-round loss to Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 in April.

Holloway, a former Featherweight champion, is looking to bounce back after losing to Illia Topuria by knockout at UFC 208 last October. He won the BMF title at UFC 300, knocking out Justin Gaethje. He has a career record of 26-8, with 12 wins coming by knockout.

UFC middleweight contender Brendan Allen has issued a bold response to the fanbase after they heavily criticized him for his UFC 318 post-fight interview. UFC middleweights Brendan Allen and Marvin Vettori have had a huge feud that has been brewing ever since they clashed in a casino in Las Vegas last year.

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Brendan Allen (25-7 MMA, 13-4 UFC) picked up arguably the biggest win of his UFC career when he outworked former middleweight title challenger Marvin Vettori (19-8-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC) for a unanimous decision on the prelims.

Brendan Allen and Marvin Vettori stole the show on a UFC 318 card that featured at least two other Fight of the Night candidates. The middleweight rivals both leave New Orleans with an extra $50,000 after earning Saturday’s Fight of the Night award,

Holland has undoubtedly been the UFC’s most active fighter in recent times, with the July 29 pay-per-view already marking his fourth fight of 2025. That run put a few records in Holland’s sights, but one was likely eliminated from the equation owing to what transpired at UFC 318.