Roman Dolidze’s coach confirms heated backstage exchange with Kevin Holland after UFC 307 fight

Roman Dolidze and Kevin Holland nearly had Round 2 in the backstage area following their UFC 307 bout.

In a main card middleweight contest, Dolidze came away with a first-round corner stoppage TKO victory after Holland suffered a rib injury during a grappling scramble. After the fight, UFC broadcast partner Sportsnet reported that Dolidze and Holland got into it in the back. Dolidze’s coach Eric Nicksick confirmed the information and provided additional insight.

“So I always bring an extra hat or some stuff in the bucket and to give it to a kid or somebody out in the crowd,” Nicksick told MMA Fighting. “So they went back to medicals, I went out with [Aljamain Sterling], and I was giving a hat away to some kid that I saw, and then when I walked back to medicals, I guess Kevin and Roman... like Kevin was chirping at Roman the whole time through the medical tent, and then it just escalated into Kevin saying some really not very classy things to Roman, and then Roman getting pretty pissed off and then that had to get separated.

“Emotions are firing at that moment, and it sucks, man, because no one wanted to fight to end that way. It wasn’t our choice either. Kevin made the decision to tell his corner about the rib, made Coach Bob Perez make a decision about keeping his fighter in the fight, so we didn’t do anything wrong. So to take it that route, I was pretty disappointed.”

Nicksick and Holland have built a friendly relationship over the years, and considers Holland “a good friend of mine.” While it’s difficult to corner and coach against a fighter you have respect for, it’s even more difficult when the situation gets a bit out of hand.

The Xtreme Couture head man did say that Holland reached out after the incident.

“Kevin texted me and apologized,” Nicksick explained. “I told Kevin, you know, ‘I wish it didn’t go to that extent.’ I know that emotions are high in that moment but shit, man, it’s a fight and I wish it didn’t have to turn into saying things that he said.”

At the moment, Nicksick and Holland are in a better spot, but the situation between the latter and Dolidze will need to take a bit more time, it appears.

“I wouldn’t say they’re cool, but hopefully cooler heads will prevail at the end of this, and we can move on,” Nicksick said.