UFC 272: Kevin Holland on internet trolls, fighting at welterweight and facing Alex Oliveira

UFC star Kevin Holland has a unique way to deal with trolls - he invites them to his gym.

The American, who fights against Alex Oliveira in a welterweight bout at UFC 272 in Las Vegas on Saturday, says that inviting hecklers over for a bit of MMA action can teach them how to be humble.

"I'm not looking to hurt anybody - I don't fight these guys, I simply give them a troll smack," Holland, 29, told BBC Sport.

"I think they can learn some valuable lessons.

"Getting trolls to participate in martial arts for a few months, and getting them more humble in the mind, that would be awesome."

Holland has posted footage online of him competing against the trolls.

Since releasing the videos, the number of abusive messages in his inboxes has risen, despite his belief that it would have the opposite effect.

He says it depends on his mood that day as to whether the abuse affects him.

"Some definitely bother me. If you call me outside of my name, it's going to bother me," said Holland.

"But at the end of the day, I call people outside of their names too, it's just part of the game. Some days you don't like it, some days you can be sitting on the pooper getting the biggest laugh of your life.

"But guys - you don't have to disrespect me to get a session with me. All you have to do is go to the gym and tell my coach you'd love to get a session with me, and that's truly why you're there to sign up."

'You won't see many downfalls at welterweight'

Holland will be moving down to welterweight from middleweight for the first time in five years when he takes on Brazil's Oliveira.

After breakout year in 2020, when he won five times to tie the UFC record for the number of victories in a calendar year, he struggled in 2021, losing twice, with another fight ending as a no-contest.

He says his decision to cut down to welterweight was influenced by the manor of those defeats, where he was out-wrestled.

"After dropping the ball to [Marvin] Vettori and [Derek] Brunson - two guys who can't strike to save their lives but have just enough strength to hold a skinny guy like me down, I was like 'I'll give it a shot'," said Holland.

"I'm primed out at welterweight, as long as the weight cut and everything goes smoothly, and I go out there and do my thing.

"At 185lb, the only time I really lost was being held down, so as long as these guys don't have a will to hold me down and look for a submission, you won't really see many downfalls."

Holland, who was born in California but lives in Texas, is excited at the prospect of facing 34-year-old Oliveira.

The Brazilian, who is nicknamed Cowboy because of a previous job as a rodeo bull rider, has fought 21 times in the UFC, winning 11 bouts.

"To me he's a legend of the sport and a legend of the game," said Holland.

"There's no bad blood here, but I've got a bounty [fight of the night bonus] on his head which is £50,000, baby, so I've got to get that."

"You know what they say when you live down south, man - when you live in spot with a lot of cowboys. 'The only way to become a true cowboy is to take out a cowboy.'"