Holland dismisses Smith's callouts ahead of UFC 334 bout with Medic

Kevin Holland has publicly brushed aside Jacobe Smith’s persistent callouts, telling his would-be rival to look elsewhere for motivation ahead of his welterweight clash with Uros Medic at UFC 334 in New York City this Saturday.

The feud has been largely one-sided. Smith and Holland were originally booked to fight at UFC Oklahoma City, but Holland withdrew due to injury. Since then, Smith has gone on a run, adding two more wins to his record — most recently a decision over Randy Brown — while continuing to target Holland, even stating he wants to “murder” him. Holland, for his part, says he simply does not understand the obsession.

“Everybody keeps going on and on and on about this guy, Jacoochie. I don’t understand what the big deal is,” Holland said on social media. “The guy’s a stud wrestler, pretty fun fighter to watch when he’s landing those little in tight elbows and ground and pound, but what the f*ck is the guy worried about me for? I’m not the champ of the division. I’m not holding this guy up.”

Holland also pushed back on the idea that Smith’s recent knockout wins represent a significant step up in competition, suggesting those stoppages came against opponents from the regional circuit — fighters Holland himself was beating back in 2016. He acknowledged Smith’s decision over Brown was a dominant performance, but noted that finishing Brown is a different challenge entirely.

“It’s a little bit harder to knock out the guys that don’t want to be knocked out,” Holland said. “I had the guy in a submission choke for half of a round; I didn’t get a fcking 10-6. He’s a hard guy to put away. So I understand the frustration there. But I don’t understand the fcking frustration with me.”

Holland drew a colourful comparison to make his point, invoking 50 Cent’s famous line about misplaced anger: “I understand you’re mad at this guy, I understand you’re mad at this guy, but I don’t understand why the f*ck you’re mad at me.”

With UFC 334 on the horizon, Holland says Smith is not on his radar. Facing No. 12-ranked Medic is the immediate priority, and even after that fight, Holland suggested he has little intention of giving Smith the matchup he craves — comparing his likely approach to Jon Jones’s handling of the Tom Aspinall situation, where a highly anticipated fight was repeatedly sidestepped despite public pressure.