It seems that Gunnar Nelson will only have one bout in the Octagon in 2012 as the remaining opportunities to be put on UFC cards in the year dwindle away. With only a few slots open on the UFC 155 – Dos Santos versus Velasquez 2 on December 29, it is very unlikely that the Icelandic star will be seen until next year.
“I don’t know if Gunnar will fight more this year but he will be ready when the call comes.” says Halli Nelson to MMA Viking, who is the coach and manager of Gunnar. Nelson showed that he is ready for the big leagues as he submitted DaMarques Johnson on the UFC on Fuel TV 5 – Struve vs. Miocic card a little over three weeks ago in Nottingham. The submission victory created a huge buzz for the up-and-coming star who ended the bout with little effort in round 1 of his debut.
“I doubt it will be before Christmas, probably early next year” says Gunnar to SevereMMA.com this past weekend in an interview after watching teammate Arni “The Ice Viking” Isaksson win the Cage Contenders belt in Ireland.
Nelson has racked up 10 wins, with no losses and a draw in his career. His win in the Octagon was his first for Zuffa, and it was the second win in 2012 after no professional MMA bouts in 2011. “Gunni” has stopped his last 10 opponents.
After Johnson’s loss, where he did not make the catch-weight agreement of 175lbs, the American was cut by the UFC. Johnson has a record of 16 wins and 11 losses overall, and 4 wins and 6 losses in the UFC.
Stay tuned for the 24 year old’s next move.
