Nelson could emerge as new welterweight star

LONDON, England — With Georges St-Pierre’s hiatus, the UFC’s welterweight division has been given a breath of fresh air.

At UFC 171 on March 15 a new champion will be decided and likely the new No. 1 contender as well. But, this weekend in London a forgotten prospect enters the cage looking to kick start his run toward a shot at the belt in one of the UFC’s most stacked division.

Much has been said about Gunnar Nelson since he first put on his gi. From day one he was pinned as a prodigy to revolutionize the sport of submission grappling, but Nelson, who faces Omari Akhmedov Saturday, had other plans. Deep in the volcanic island of Iceland, Nelson and his MJÖLNIR team were busy plotting his ascent through the European MMA scene with an ultimate goal of UFC stardom.


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Nelson was one of Europe’s top junior karatekas, but after taking up grappling and MMA at his local club, he decided to give up karate. At the age of 16, Nelson attended a private lesson with one of Europe’s premier grapplers, John Kavanagh of Straight Blast Gym, in Dublin. A bond was formed between mentor and student, and under the tutelage of Kavanagh, Nelson quickly ascended through the ranks of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His most notable wins were his 2009 Pan American black belt winning performance, and a win over Jeff Monson.

Then Nelson made inroads into mixed martial arts, competing first in Denmark before taking up residency as the star of John Ferguson’s Cage Contender promotion in Ireland. The young phenom also fought for BAMMA, defeating the highly-regarded British fighter Eugene Fadiora.

Skills wise, Nelson is the complete package. His striking is underrated and his grappling is notorious. His only untested attribute is his wrestling, though he has been known to utilize great trips from the clinch.

His pre-UFC career was dominant and his skill was undeniable. When he beat Danny Mitchell in 2010 his team won so much money betting on him that a big named UK betting website refused to offer odds on MMA for years later. Throughout his early pro career Nelson honed his craft in his adopted home of Dublin. His time training in Ireland with Conor McGregor and highly touted Cathal Pendred has given the Straight Blast Gym a noticeable boost.

Thus far “Gunni’s” UFC stint has been remarkable from his debut when he dismantled a much larger DaMarques Johnson, to his victory over Jorge Santiago last February. Many expected Nelson to face a higher ranked opponent in his Octagon return, but much to the chagrin of fight fans he was paired with Akhmedov, a master of sambo.

Akhmedov will be a real test of Nelson’s grappling gusto. While he may not have the biggest name and is really only recognizable to hardcore fans, Akhmedov is most certainly a threat. Akhmedov’s grappling is truly top level he relishes the clinch and this is where things get interesting as Akhmedov is usually far more comfortable playing the distance game on the feet. Akhmedov should also have a significant advantage in the wrestling realm but Akhmedov is always capable of landing sneaky takedowns himself.

You might ask: “what does a win against Omari Akhmedov do for Gunnar Nelson?” The answer might be “not a lot in the short term.” However, it could be the first step toward Nelson making a meteoric rise up the rankings throughout the remainder of 2014.

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