UFC 130’s Roy Nelson: Ho-Hum, Another MMA Wrestling Dummy* in Elite Competition

Roy “Big Country” Nelson must not know the difference between a full-nelson and a half-nelson.He must not know that one is an illegal hold in folkstyle and Olympic-style wrestling, but is allowed in catch and professional entertainment wres…

Roy “Big Country” Nelson must not know the difference between a full-nelson and a half-nelson.

He must not know that one is an illegal hold in folkstyle and Olympic-style wrestling, but is allowed in catch and professional entertainment wrestling. (Yours truly is uncertain if it’s legal in the UFC as it is technically a neck crank.)

His consecutive losses to Junior Dos Santos and then to Frank Mir last Saturday night in UFC 130 must suffice as a wake-up call.

And no, I won’t add anything to the discussion about whether he is best off fighting as light-heavyweight or not.

Or if he should cut his whoppers diet to lose the horizontal outgrowth from his waist, which he claims to give him a massive advantage or two.

Whatever Nelson’s diet or best weight class is, it’s high time to amp his training in the world’s oldest competitive sport: wrestling. (Yup, as posted on the official website of the International Olympic Committee itself.)

Striking? Check, blessed with KO power—though not as polished as Dos Santos or Alistair Overeem.

Grappling? Check, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who defeated Mir in a national grappling competition years ago.

Wrestling? Maybe the same level as his punk-rocking counterpart.

From mohawk to mullet, welterweight to heavyweight.

I’d really love to see Nelson wrestle down his opponent and see the power of his punches when he ground-and-pounds!

But last Saturday night, especially in the latter half of the fight, I thought average wrestler Frank Mir was actually Georges St-Pierre taking down his opponent with impunity.

*By “wrestling dummy,” I mean the training equipment.

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