Preview: UFC Vegas 107 Prelims

Lightweights

Jordan Leavitt (11-3, 4-3 UFC) vs. Kurt Holobaugh (21-9, 2-6 UFC)

ODDS: Leavitt (-192), Holobaugh (+160)

Almost all Holobaugh fights are entertaining. He’s in the rare three-timers club as far as UFC tenures. He came to the promotion through Strikeforce and was cut after one fight, then went winless against a sneakily tough level of competition after earning a contract on the Contender Series in 2017. After winning “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2023, “The Hurt” has finally gotten the right matchmaking to make the best of his all-gas-no-brakes style. Holobaugh isn’t the best athlete, but he will make his opponent fight every step of the way, particularly now that he has enough veteran craftiness to his game to pull out some surprisingly vicious submissions. Holobaugh’s athletic ceiling is such that he has still alternated wins and losses during this latest UFC tenure, and having dropped a close decision to Alexander Hernandez in March, he looks to rebound with a win against a fellow grappler. Leavitt is a fascinating fighter, as “The Monkey King” is still clearly at his most comfortable while on the mat but has shown some solidly effective ideas when forced to stay on the feet. He was able to earn a decision over Trey Ogden just by staying patient and kicking his opponent from range, and he managed a surprising knockout of Victor Martinez in the clinch. However, Leavitt is more than willing to consent against an opponent who tries to get the fight to the ground, which is a double-edged sword in this assignment. It’s Leavitt’s best chance at a finish, but Holobaugh is also at his best on top of his opponents and will probably wind up causing more damage in the process. The pick is Holobaugh via decision.

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