Gunnar Nelson’s UFC debut in England was a success.
Neloson choked out DaMarques Johnson with a first-round rear-naked choke. He showed a brilliant all-around game that should earn him a top-20 guy in his next bout.
Nelson is still undefeated in his career and beat a much larger Johnson, who couldn’t make weight for this short-notice fight.
What we’ll remember from this fight
Nelson’s grappling ability and cool head were key in this fight. His amazing grappling ability rivals anybody in the division, and tonight was just a demonstration of how dangerous he is.
What we learned about Nelson
Nelson is well-rounded and the hype behind him is legit. His grappling was top-notch and his striking looked solid as well. Kenny Florian said it best when he said Nelson’s wrestling is underrated because his take down of Johnson was beautiful.
What we learned about Johnson
Johnson is a tough guy and a company man. He should not have taken this fight due to his knockout loss last month and the difficulty of cutting weight, but he did it anyway. We should be grateful he stepped up and saved this fight from being scrapped.
What’s next for Nelson
I think a top-20 opponent is in order for the Icelandic prospect. Maybe a meeting with Erick Silva, a fellow prospect, could be in the cards, but he may be a little bit higher up the ladder. Therefore, a showdown with Brian Ebersole would be fun in my eyes.
What’s next for Johnson
Three losses in a row is never good for job security. There is the possibility he gets cut, but the fact he stepped up on less than two weeks notice means that he deserves one more shot. A “loser leaves town” fight with Lance Benoist would be a good fight for both men to take.
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