#Big Mouth Kevin Holland sees multiple titles

Never has it been easier to hear what fighters at the highest level say to one another in the cage than during the pandemic. The bulk of UFC events over the past 12 months have been hosted in the nearly empty UFC Apex facility, and chatter can be heard pretty clearly, depending on the fighter.

And for the fighter that UFC president Dana White has dubbed “Big Mouth,” everyone at home can hear exactly what Kevin Holland says to his foes. Oftentimes, it’s not the typical smack talk one might expect. He’s just putting into practice something a buddy of his from years back — a pimp, he says — used to say: “Casual conversation rules the world, Baby Bro.”

“So I’m out there, just [having] casual conversation, ruling the world,” Holland told The Post over the phone on Wednesday, ahead of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night headliner at Las Vegas’ Apex on ESPN against fellow middleweight Derek Brunson. ”I’m having a conversation with a guy while scrapping, I mean, my grandpa, growing up, he used to call me jabberjaws, so I’m a talker. I’m [gonna] talk the talk, and I’m [gonna] walk the walk. I just love [to] talk.”

After a 2020 run in which Holland (21-5, 17 finishes) rapidly rose from the middle of the UFC’s 185-pound pack to being named by many media outlets as the breakthrough fighter of the year, the 28-year-old best known for powerful (T)KOs but also experienced with submissions could be ready to explode onto the championship scene. He’s won five fights in a row — all since the coronavirus pandemic altered the sports landscape — with four victories coming between August and December.

The Dec. 12 capper came against the most accomplished opponent of his career: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who even at 41 years old remains a respected figure in the division. Holland and Jacare, known for his world-class grappling and knockout power, packed plenty of action into the 1:45 the bout lasted — in typical Big Mouth fashion, Holland compliments his opponent on landing a hard strike to the head with, “That was nice, Jac.”

About 20 seconds after telling Souza “I had a dream about this” while taking punches from his veteran foe, Holland landed a winging right hand from his back with such force that he knocked Jacare silly, following with postured-up punches until the referee quickly waived it off for one of the most unique knockouts the UFC has seen.

Jacare, before Holland separated him from consciousness, appeared unfettered by the loquacious California native, who now trains in Fort Worth, Texas. Holland does think his chit-chat can get into some opponents’ heads, but only “because they let it get in their heads.”

“It’s just a conversation,” said Holland, downplaying the impact his words should have in a fight. “If these guys let it get in their heads, [then] they don’t talk enough.”

Holland doesn’t expect 37-year-old veteran Brunson (21-7, 15 finishes), who has competed against four former UFC champions, to be bogged down by his chatter. 

“I feel like he played dominoes a lot growing up, you know,” Holland said. “He knows what’s up with the domino game. If you know how to play dominoes, you know how to fight and talk s—t at the same time. It’s part of the culture, baby. He should know what’s up.

“He’s hoping that I won’t talk, but I’m gonna talk. I don’t care if he’s on top and he’s smashing me; I’m gonna talk.”

Brunson told The Post over the phone Wednesday that Holland “can say whatever he wants to, to get up for a fight” but that he won’t be deterred from looking to land heavy strikes and go for a finish — which, according to Holland, won’t keep him quiet.

“If he wants to take the opportunity to talk, I’m gonna be punching him in the face,” Brunson said. “It doesn’t matter to me. He can do whatever he wants to.”

With no clear top contender waiting in the wings for middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who lost a decision on March 6 in his bid to add the light heavyweight crown to his trophy case, it’s not unthinkable that Holland could find his way to a championship fight with an impressive win this weekend. And Holland, who’s actual fighting nickname is “Trailblazer,” agreed that a title fight should be next — just not that one.

“I think [the UFC is] gonna have me fight [welterweight champion Kamaru] Usman next,” said Holland, who competed at 170 pounds as recently as four years ago and isn’t considered to be a large middleweight despite a 6-foot-3 frame. He added he won’t mind stepping in on short notice if the planned Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal title rematch, scheduled for April 24, falls apart.

Given his will to chase championships at his own weight class and the one below — and the fact that not-so-large middleweight Adesanya went five rounds with the 205-pound champ — Holland won’t rule out the potential to earn gold in three UFC weight classes someday. That feat is unprecedented in the UFC.

“I’ve always had a theory that I could try to gain weight to make 205,” Holland said. “So yeah, I could do that. I’d be down, bro. … Why not? If Izzy did OK with [a 205-pound champion], I can do OK with them.”