Kevin Holland has made it known he doesn’t like Derek Brunson.

In the main event of UFC Vegas 22, Holland is set to face Brunson in a very intriguing middleweight bout. The winner of the fight would likely fight a top-five middleweight next, but Holland doesn’t care about any of that. Instead, he is just looking to beat up and knock out Brunson.

“The simple fact that we had words, knocking Brunson out will feel spectacular,” Holland said to UFC. ‘It will feel different knocking anyone else out because I don’t really like the guy. It always makes it better when you can beat the crap out of somebody you don’t like.”

If Kevin Holland beats Derek Brunson, there is no question he would be pushed. He is someone the UFC has invested in and if he gets past Brunson, another big fight would be next. However, for “Trailblazer” he says come Saturday night everyone will get to see if he really is a contender at middleweight or not.

“I think people are seeing me bigger than what I am. You are going to find out after I beat Brunson if I’m a contender or not, but they are already screaming for things I haven’t put myself in a position to get yet,” Holland said. “But, that being said, with a smackdown on Brunson I could be in a better position for them to actually start talking about (fighting for the belt). I see the champ mentioning my name and I still have a couple of fights to go, and I know that, but when I get there, I get there.”

Kevin Holland enters Saturday’s main event on a five-fight winning streak with all five wins coming in 2020. In his last fight, he scored a highlight-reel KO over Jacare Souza at UFC 256.

Do you think Kevin Holland will beat Derek Brunson at UFC Vegas 22?