Kevin Holland jokes about Dana White panicking after his post-fight pasta incident

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Kevin Holland, a fan favourite in the welterweight division, seems to have found a way to amuse himself at Dana White’s expense.

Holland returns to action this weekend at UFC Vancouver, stepping into enemy territory to face Canadian prospect Mike Malott in the co-main event.

After suffering a hard-fought loss to Daniel Rodriguez, Holland has been out of action since UFC 318. He’s now looking to get back on track against Malott.

However, his recent trip to New Orleans was overshadowed by an unusual vomiting episode that drew concern from UFC president Dana White.

Kevin Holland’s post-fight illness raises concern for Dana White

After back-to-back wins over Gunnar Nelson and Vicente Luque, Holland’s momentum stalled with a decision loss to Rodriguez, who went on to challenge for the welterweight title at UFC 320. He admitted that fighting in New Orleans presented its own unique challenges.

During fight week in Louisiana, Holland struggled to maintain his usual diet and had to rely on meals provided by the UFC Performance Institute.

“I ordered nothing but spaghetti, pretty much. I ordered the Bellagio pasta for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” Holland told Full Send MMA. “I had hot sauce on it, some crushed red peppers and parmesan. It was fire.”

“…The problem was though after fighting D-Rod for three rounds I went in the back and f***ing threw up red pasta juices everywhere,” Holland laughed. “So Dana (White) comes in going ‘Kid go to the hospital you’re throwing up blood’. I said I’m not throwing up blood it’s pasta … ‘Go to the hospital you think you know more than doctors?’”

Kevin Holland admits confusion over upcoming UFC Vancouver opponent

Holland, who is likely fighting to keep his place in the welterweight top-15 this weekend, has admitted he initially mixed up who he was facing.

Scheduled to meet Malott, Holland explained that he thought ‘Malott’ was just a nickname for Australian veteran Jake Matthews, which led to some early confusion about his actual opponent.

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“No lying to you guys, this whole time I thought I was fighting Jake Matthews,” Holland said. “I thought ‘Malott’ was his nickname. I think it will be great, I mean, the dude’s no GSP.”