It’s been over a year since Gunnar Nelson competed in a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight, as “Gunni” hasn’t stepped foot inside the Octagon since getting knocked out by Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC Fight Night 113 in July of 2016 (highlights).
But the submission specialist could be headed back to the cage in just a few months, as ESPN is reporting that the promotion is close to booking a Welterweight showdown between Nelson and Alex Oliveira for the upcoming UFC 231 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Dec. 8, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
“Cowboy” is currently riding a two-fight win streak and was last seen taking out Carlo Pedersoli Jr. at UFC Fight Night 137 last month (see it) after Alex’s original foe, Neil Magny, was yanked from the event to face the aforementioned Ponzinibbio next month in Argentina.
Alex has been on quite a roll as of late, winning six of his last eight fights inside the Octagon, including victories over former champions Will Brooks and Carlos Condit. A win over Nelson, though, could finally give “Cowboy” the push to make the leap into the top 10.
Early predictions?
UFC 231 is set to be headlined be a Featherweight title fight as Max Holloway makes his long-awaited return against Brian Ortega. In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko and Joanna Jedrzejczyk will duke it out for the vacant women’s Flyweight title.
To learn more about the upcoming UFC 231: “Holloway vs Ortega” fight card click here.