Both Ralston Thomas and Brandon Holmes have been undefeated thus far in their professional and amateur MMA careers. Holmes has never seen a judges’ decision, having won his four amateur bouts and professional debut by strikes. Thomas likewise spent his amateur career finishing opponents with a mix of strikes and submissions across five bouts, but earned a unanimous decision in his pro debut.
When the middleweights meet at Fight For It XVIII, only one will retain his undefeated record.
Holmes is a dangerous striker who kicked off his professional career by knocking out David Richardson at Conflict MMA 60 in December. Without resting on his laurels, Holmes returns to the cage just over a month later to keep the momentum going.
Thomas, whose amateur career showcased more varied finishes, would be advised to try to control the range of the fight, and pull Holmes into a grappling match if possible. But with more than a year since his last bout at Global Legion FC 24 in December, 2022 (a unanimous decision victory over Maurice Morris) he’s had plenty of time to prepare — or to accumulate ring rust.
Ultimately, the outcome will likely be decided by whichever man is best able to control the pace and range of the fight, either grinding it out on the inside for Thomas or keeping the contest on the feet and trading heavy blows for Holmes. Either way, odds are the judges won’t get much of a say.
The only thing predictable about this bout is it’ll be explosive. Don’t snooze on it.
Fight For It XVIII kicks off 2024 with a powerful card of kickboxing and MMA action at Charlotte’s Grady Cole Center on Saturday, Jan. 27. Catch every moment live or streaming via pay-per-view. Kickboxing prelims start at 3 p.m., and the MMA card ignites at 7 p.m. Tickets for the live event and pay-per-view stream are available now via fightforitcompany.com.
And be sure to download the Fight For It app on on The App Store or Google Play to pick your fantasy winners at Fight For It XIV. The pool is free to play and will award the top three scorers with their share of a $500 cash prize.
