Gunnar Nelson missed over a year inside the Octagon following his last defeat. In July of 2017, Nelson had a two-fight win streak snapped by Santiago Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio knocked out Nelson in the first round. Nelson returned over the weekend (Sat. December 8, 2018) at UFC 231 on pay-per-view (PPV).
He faced Alex Oliveira on the main card of the Toronto event. The pair put on a tremendous contest, which Nelson got the upper hand in during the second round. After mounting Oliveira and cutting him with some hard elbows, Nelson locked in a rear-naked choke. With how bad Oliveira was hurt already, he had no choice but to tap out.
It was a big win for Nelson, however, he realizes it’s not enough to warrant a title opportunity. However, after missing a year of Octagon action and returning with a win, Nelson is hoping for a much more active 2019 (via MMA Junkie):
“If you get a title shot, you don’t say no,” Nelson said. “But I’m just going to keep on climbing like I’ve always been. I’m ready to fight anyone. So right now, I’ll go back home and sort out a few things I want to work on and hopefully 2019 I’ll be a lot more active.”
What did you make of Nelson’s big submission win over Oliveira?
